Servitor Injured at Jagannath Temple; Darshan Halted Briefly

Puri: An incident inside the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri led to a temporary suspension of darshan on Friday after a servitor sustained injuries near the Kala Hata Dwara, also known as Kalahata or Chamu Dwara, the silver-adorned entrance to the sanctum sanctorum.

According to sources, a Bojhia (Bhogia) servitor, who carries sacred bhoga offerings to the deities, suffered a head injury, likely due to an accidental fall or collision while handling the offerings.

As blood was spilled within the temple premises, authorities performed the Bada Mahasnana, an elaborate purification ritual mandated by ancient temple traditions to restore sanctity whenever such incidents occur.

During the ritual, the deities—Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra—were ceremonially bathed as part of the purification process. Consequently, general darshan for devotees was suspended for nearly one and a half hours while the cleansing rituals were carried out.

Temple authorities later completed the rituals and darshan resumed for devotees without further delay.