Bhubaneswar: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) will deploy a few Pratihari servitors at the Lions’ Gate of the shrine to thwart the entry of any non-Hindus into the temple premises.
The SJTA will deploy four Pratihari servitors at the Lions’ Gate (Singhadwar) of Jagannath temple at Odisha’s Puri town from April 14 (tomorrow), sources said.
The primary motive behind the deployment of Pratihari servitors is to avoid any incident of non-Hindus entering the 12th century shrine, sources added.
The decision to deploy Pratihari servitors at the temple gates came in the wake of frequent allegations regarding the entry of some non-Hindus and foreign nationals into the shrine premises in the recent past.
The Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee has approved a proposal for deployment of Pratihari servitors at the four gates of the Jagannath temple.
In the initial phase, four Pratihari servitors will be deployed at the Singhadwar. Later, steps will be taken for the deployment of Pratihari servitors at the remaining three gates of the temple, said sources in the SJTA.
It is worth mentioning here that a few Bangladeshi nationals had been caught while entering Jagannath temple on March 3.
Similarly, a British national allegedly entered the temple on March 30. He was reportedly spotted roaming near the Beharan gate on the temple precincts.
At present, personnel of Odisha police as well as Jagannath Temple Police Service are guarding the four gates of the shrine.
Notably, non-Hindus are barred from entering Jagannath temple at Puri.
