Thousands Take Lord Jagannath's Blessing on New Year

BY: SUN STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Jan 01, JAGANNATHA PURI, ORISSA — The world famous Jagannath Temple was jam-packed on the first day of 2010 as people from across the country thronged to take blessings of the triad Deities for a hassle-free year ahead. Jagannath Temple officials said that more than 4 lakh pilgrims visited the shrine on Friday. But interestingly, not a single minister or VVIP visited the 12th century shrine till evening, sources said.

Officials ascribed the reason to the ‘ban' on special facilities to VIPs in rush hours at the Jagannath Temple. The temple administration had denuded the elite visitors of special facilities since the stampede that killed four pilgrims inside the shrine on November 4, 2006.

It was alleged that the mishap had taken place as the shrine authorities and cops were busy entertaining a VIP inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. That had caused unbridled rush outside the sanctum, and all hell broke loose when the VIP came out of the special darshan.

"After that tragic mishap, we stopped facilitating VIP darshan during festive time when the temple witnesses maddening rush. If any distinguished person visits temple during rush time, he or she would have to go in queue like any other common pilgrim," a temple official said.

"And this is the reason why the number of VIPs has dwindled in festive times. Ministers and other VVIPs cannot withstand crowd," the official said. "VIPs and ministers used to pay visit to the temple in early morning. But this time, we did not see the footfall of any minister till evening," the official told.

Notably, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who was forced to cancel his tour to Puri temple on January 1, 2008 due to vehement protest by some Puri-based outfits, did not come this time following the death of his mother in recent past.

Meanwhile, police made adequate security arrangements for the smooth darshan of pilgrims in the temple. "We introduced queue system to streamline the flow of devotees to the temple. It was peaceful," Puri ASP, Pratap Mohanty said.