Puri:
Violence marred the Rath Yatra celebrations in Puri today after over 20
sevayats or temple servitors were left injured in a police lathicharge following a heated exchange over the overcrowding of the chariots parked near the Gundicha temple.
The police action took place without any magisterial order.
The incident occurred during the "Abakash" ritual of Lord Jagannath as a large number of devotees climbed atop his chariot, "Nandighosh", and jostled for a glimpse of the deity, police sources said.
In a departure from the centuries-old tradition, the Jagannath temple administration had prepared a ladder made of aluminium to enable the devotees climb up the three majestic chariots and have a glimpse of the deities.
Following the incident, public
darshan atop the three chariots came to a standstill and priests stopped the rituals briefly before the "Pahandi" of deities into Gundicha temple.
They have now threatened not to carry out the mandatory rituals until the guilty policemen are punished.
Meanwhile, the district collector, Superintendent of Police (SP) and the local MLA are now engaged in a dialogue with the sevayats to resolve the deadlock.
The injured were being treated at the district headquarters hospital here.
An eyewitness claimed that there was a stampede-like situation atop the chariot of Lord Jagannath and noticing that the situation was slipping out of control, police personnel deployed around swung into action and resorted to lathicharge.
"Violating the sacred tradition, policemen climbed up the chariot wearing leather shoes and beat us up in which many
Daitapatis and
Pujapanda sevaks sustained injury", Gopal Krushna Pujapanda Samanta, one of the injured priests alleged.
Reacting to the incident, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said that appropriate action would be taken against those found guilty.
All the three chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra had reached the Gundicha Temple last evening after being pulled by thousands of devotees from the 12th century shrine.