Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Suresh Chandra Mohapatra on Tuesday said appropriate action would be taken against the servitors for allowing devotees to touch the deities during the Sahan Mela darshan at the Snan Mandap on Monday night.
“CCTVs cameras have been installed in and around the Snan Mandap. We will check the CCTV footage to find out the servitors who had unauthorisedly allowed the devotees to touch the deities and definitely take action against them,” said Mohapatra.
At around 10.30 pm on Monday night thousands of devotees crossed the barricades and touched the deities at the Snan Mandap in the presence of senior police and temple officials. It was also seen that some Bengali devotees in servitors’ outfit also touched the deities.
Meanwhile, Daitapati Nijog assistant secretary Binayak Dasmohapatra said it was an age old practice for devotees to touch the deities and there was no mistake in it.
Earlier Jadadguru Nischalananda Saraswati and Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb said touching deities is a sin (Mahapapa).