By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: During the Mahashivratri celebrations at Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar on February 15, 2026, several irregularities were reported, primarily involving conflicts among servitors (temple priests and attendants) and crowd management issues.
Scuffle Among Servitors: A physical altercation broke out between two groups of servitors inside the temple premises. The tussle reportedly stemmed from disputes over allowing family members of servitors to enter for darshan (viewing the deity) amid the heavy festival crowd.
Visual footage shows groups of men in traditional attire pushing and grappling with each other, with some appearing to have body markings or costumes. Police personnel deployed at the site intervened to de-escalate the situation, but there were also reports of verbal exchanges and minor scuffles between police and servitors.
This led to a tense atmosphere, with arguments escalating to physical pushes, though no major injuries were immediately reported.
Conflict Between Servitors and Devotees: In a separate incident, servitors clashed with devotees waiting in line for darshan. It began with a verbal argument between one servitor and a devotee, which escalated when other servitors joined in.
Police officials stepped in to mediate and calm the situation. Additionally, some servitors expressed frustration toward media personnel covering the event.
Crowd Management and Barricade Issues: Due to apparent mismanagement amid the large influx of devotees, a barricade broke at the temple’s north gate (Uttar Dwar) late at night. This caused chaos, with crowds pushing forward, leading to devotees being trampled or falling.
Footage reveals nighttime scenes of dense crowds surging, police in uniform trying to control the situation, and people climbing over broken barriers. This raised concerns about devotee safety during the peak festival hours.
These incidents highlight ongoing challenges at the temple, as similar servitor disputes have disrupted rituals in the past, such as during Makar Sankranti in January 2026, where conflicts over specific offerings halted services for days. The Odisha government had ramped up preparations for a smooth Mahashivratri this year to avoid such recurrences, but today’s events suggest persistent issues with coordination among servitor groups and administration As of now, the celebrations continue, but authorities are likely monitoring closely to prevent further disruptions.
