Blood stains found near Puri Srimandir's Bhitara Katha, darshan temporarily halted

Darshan of the sibling deities at Puri Srimandir was temporarily halted on Sunday after blood stains were found near the temple’s Bhitara Katha. The discovery led to the immediate arrangement of the Bada Maha Snana of the Lords, resulting in the suspension of darshan.

The Incident:

After the completion of the morning rituals such as Dwara Phita Niti and Mangala Alati, the darshan of Lord Jagannath commenced. However, shortly after, servitors discovered blood stains near the Bhitara Katha area. In response to the incident, the Bada Maha Snana Niti of the sibling deities was arranged without any delay.

To ensure the smooth conduction of the Bada Maha Snana Niti, the darshan of the Lords was completely halted during the ritual. However, the source of the blood stains remains unclear, and the exact cause of the blood’s appearance has not been determined.

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Possible Cause:

It is suspected that the blood stains may have resulted from someone stepping on a broken glass bangle, possibly from a female devotee. Such incidents have been observed in the past, especially during times of heavy crowding, when bangles worn by female devotees sometimes break. The temple witnessed a significant rush today due to it being a weekend, which may have contributed to the situation.

Impact On Darshan:

The disruption led to a delay in darshan, which was expected to last for 40-45 minutes due to the Bada Maha Snana Niti. Following this ritual, other scheduled rituals such as Gopala Ballabha and Bhoga Mandap would take place as planned. Since it was Sunday, a large number of devotees had gathered at the temple to see the Lords, and the delay in darshan was expected to significantly affect them.

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Arrangements For Devotees:

The devotes were entering the temple through the four Dwaras and exit mainly via the Uttara Dwara, reportedly. The barricades in place had roofs, providing some relief to the devotees from the intense sunlight.

Although the darshan of the sibling deities was expected to resume around 9:45 am, those who had already entered the temple premises used the time to visit other surrounding temples while the rituals were being carried out.

Who Discovered The Blood Stains:

Reports indicate that the Palia servitors, who remain at a close proximity in the area, were the first to notice the blood stains. As per temple regulations, the Bada Maha Snana Niti was promptly performed to address the situation.