Bhubaneswar, 05 January (H.S.): A high-level meeting of senior administrative, police and temple authorities was held on Monday to ensure that incidents like the January 4 disruption of darshan at the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri are not repeated.

Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee said the meeting was attended by Puri Collector Dibya Jyoti Parida, Superintendent of Police Prateek Singh, senior district officials, police personnel and representatives of temple servitors (sevayats).

The meeting reviewed the circumstances that led to the incident and stressed the need for improved coordination among all stakeholders. Dr Padhee expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to devotees and said the administration has decided to hold monthly review meetings to strengthen coordination and streamline crowd and security management at the 12th-century shrine.

On January 4, darshan was suspended for nearly an hour after an alleged altercation between Odisha Police personnel and the Jagannath Temple Police (JTP) over regulation of devotee entry, leading to the temporary closure of the ‘Jai Bijay Dwar’. The scuffle reportedly occurred at Satapahacha between personnel of the Srimandir Surakshya Bahini and the JTP, causing hardship to thousands of devotees.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda