Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, July 10:

Police today arrested a person for climbing atop the Taladhwaja chariot of Lord Balabhadra during the Rath Yatra festival in Odisha’s Puri.

ratha

According to reports, Kumbharpada police today arrested a devotee Deepesh Saha, a native of Gujarat, for allegedly climbing atop the chariot in the wee hours on July 8 while the chariots were parked in Saradhabali in front of Mausima Temple. He also tried to climb the Nandighosha chariot.

The arrest has been made on the basis of screening of CCTV grabs on the allegations of devotees climbing onto the chariots. Later in the day, he was forwarded to court.

It may be recalled that a girl had also climbed onto the Nandighosha chariot of Lord Jagannath which created much hue and cry following which the servitors had come to her defence claiming that she is the daughter of a fellow servitor and they have the privilege to have the darshan of the Lords on the chariots.

The district administration and Temple administration had stressed to examine the video footage and look into the matter.

Notably, the Shri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) had imposed a ban on climbing the chariots this year.