Puri: Tension flared at the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri on Sunday following a disagreement between temple servitors and security personnel over a new queue arrangement for devotees. The issue arose near the Sata Pahacha, one of the key routes used for darshan inside the temple.

Servitors Object to New Decision

Reports said the Special Security Force deployed at the Srimandir introduced a single-line queue system below the Sata Pahacha. The move was reportedly implemented without prior discussion with the temple servitors. The servitors strongly objected to the change, arguing that it went against long-standing temple customs and established darshan procedures.

Scuffle Creates Brief Chaos

The disagreement soon escalated into a heated exchange between the two sides. Eyewitnesses reported pushing and jostling in the area as arguments intensified, creating temporary chaos and inconvenience for devotees present at the time.

Darshan Through Sata Pahacha Stopped

As a mark of protest, the servitors stopped darshan through the Sata Pahacha route. This decision brought movement in that section of the temple to a halt. Servitors maintained that any change in darshan arrangements must involve consultation with the temple administration and those traditionally responsible for temple rituals.

Authorities Step In to Restore Order

Temple authorities later intervened to defuse the situation and initiated discussions with both the servitors and security personnel. Efforts were made to restore normalcy, while devotees were requested to cooperate with alternative arrangements until the issue was resolved.