Puri: The pahandi of Sudarsana during the Niladri Bije of the deities from the chariots to the Ratna Sinhasana of the Shri Jagannath temple was disrupted as devotees climbing the chariots today.
As a young girl, accompanied by a senior servitor, climbed the Taladhwaja chariot of Lord Balabhadra, other servitors opposed the move and asked the servitors clinging cymbals to stop the ritual.
It was not a one-off case as two girls and women were also found climbing the Nandighosa and Taladhwaja chariots.
Puri Collector Arvind Agarwal, who was present at the spot, had an altercation with some servitors on the devotees climbing the chariots.
Even some servitors were seen manhandling some media persons near the chariots.
Notably, it was decided by the Shri Jagannath Temple Administration and devotees that no devotee would be allowed to climb the chariots. But like the decision on not climbing the chariots during the deities stay at Gundicha Temple, this one too was implemented more in its breach than its observance.