By Our Correspondent
PURI:The SJTA has taken the illegal entry of an unauthorized person on the chariot during this year’s Rath Yatra very seriously. A written complaint has been filed by the temple administration at the Puri Singhadwar police station against the unauthorized person involved in this incident. It is worth noting that no unauthorized person other than the designated sevayat is allowed to ride on the chariot while the deity is in procession on the chariot. Despite the temple administration’s clear instructions many times that no person other than the sevayat can be on the chariot, a photo of an unauthorized person standing on the chariot of Devi Subhadra during the current Rath Yatra went viral on Facebook and other social media.
The person was wearing saffron-colored clothes and dressed like a Rahala Sevak and stood on the chariot. In the said photo, Devi Subhadra is on the chariot. The person concerned has tried to stay in the eye of the administration by dressing up as a Sevayat. Such unauthorized entry on the chariot is completely illegal. After the temple administration came to know about this, immediate steps were taken and a case was registered at Singhadwar police station.
Along with this, the Singhadwar IIC has been requested to find out the name and identity of this unauthorized person who boarded the chariot in the guise of a Sevayat and take legal action against him. Regarding the incident, the Chief Administrator of the temple, Dr. Arvind Kumar Padhi said, “No disorderly and illegal activities on the chariot will be tolerated. The temple administration has always been careful to keep the tradition of the century-old temple intact and to ensure that the service and worship of the deities are completed without any hindrance. Strict action will be taken against those who violate the temple tradition and rules in the coming days as well.”
