The temple security had examined the CCTV footages of the Pahandi procession on the Rath Yatra day in response to allegations of senior Daita servitors Ramchandra Dasmahpatra and Jagannath Swainmahapatra that some devotees had touched the deities on the chariot, violating the restriction imposed by the temple administration and the Orissa High Court directive.
CCTV footage shows deities touched during Pahandi
Though the temple Chief Administrator PK Jena had denied any such violation but assured to examine the CCTV footages. The examination revealed that one person had touched lord Sudarshan during the Pahandi near Satpahach (seven stairs) while two persons had touched the lord Balabhadra near Pratihari Nijog breaking the security cordon. Efforts were on to identify the persons and the administration is likely to lodge a police complaint against the offenders.On the Wednesday, public darshan was closed for about three hours for performing facial makeup called ‘Banaklaagi’ of the deities by the Duttamahapatra servitors. The faces of deities were disfigured during the Pahandi and fresh makeup of faces was conducted to give the deities a colourful look. On Wednesday cooked bhog was offered to the deities in the sanctum sanctorum of the Gundicha Temple. Hundreds of devotees waiting for the bhog got it. Devotees were peeved as the administration had assured allow them to touch the chariots but steel fencings were put at a distance and the chariots were beyond the reach of devotees.