Bhubaneswar: Lakhs of devotees on Thursday throng Grand Road in Puri to get a glimpse of the snan purnima that passed off peacefully in the wake of the ongoing controversy about reported disrespect shown to the President and the First Lady during their visit to Jagananth temple.

According to legends, the deities fall sick following the holy bath. So, they remain confined to the sanctum sanctorum, and devotees are refused darshan during this time. After being treated by the servitors for 14 days, the deities become fit enough to give darshan to them.

Lakhs of people thronged Puri to see Lord Jagannath and his siblings at the snan mandap. The deities were bathed with 108 pots of scented water after being taken out from the temple in pahandi (procession) to give them respite from the ongoing heat.

In the morning, Puri witnessed an incessant rain, but it stopped in the evening, and the devotees in front of the temple swelled by then. "It's a rare experience to see the God on the snan mandap," said Malati Devi, 59.

The state government on Thursday also reiterated that no formal complaint had been received from Raisina Hill about the alleged jostling of President Ram Nath Kovind and his wife Savita Kovind during their visit to the temple on March 18. The issue came to light through the minutes of the temple management committee meeting.

On the issue of the alleged unbecoming behaviour shown to the President and the First Lady, temple chief administrator P.K. Mohapatra on Thursday reiterated: "We have not received any communique from the Rastrapati Bhavan. There is no need for further discussion on this matter."

Chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi said: "As temple chief administrator has given his clarification, so there is no need to have any further discussion on this."

Puri police superintendent Sarthak Sarangi said: "A few servitors breached the inner cordon and tried to meet the President. Later, we had intimated the temple administration about it."

In another development, Suara Mahasuara (a section of servitors) Nijog president Damodara Mahasuara lodged a complaint against former chief temple administrator Pradeep Jena and Puri collector Arvind Agarwal. He alleged that the administration was intentionally trying to defame servitors.