I am an Odia and Puri is kind of 'must-visit' place for us. The moment I say Puri, the first thing that strikes people’s mind is Puri Jagannatha Temple, the Bada Danda. But unfortunately, nowadays when one says Puri Jagannatha temple, the first thing that strikes people's mind is Puri sevayats (servitors ) and their harassment. So let me tell my recent experience from the visit ( dated: 22nd may 2018).
My family reached near the temple at 1 PM. Unexpectedly it was crowded that day. After struggling to get our shoes and phones in the locker room for free that was provided by the government, we moved towards the temple. The road was quite hot, but thankfully the administrator had put jute rug on the road from the locker room to the temple gate. There were many queues separated with many steel rods and people were moving in a much-disciplined way. Next was the security checking hurdle. It was very easy and simple. One can find a stricter version of security checking in shopping mall and parks than this. Practically it is also not possible for policeman/women to check so many devotees and their bags manually. Phone checking for women was not at all present. After getting into the temple from the grand gate, one could see devotee literally everywhere and sevayats near them.
There were visitors from across India. And everywhere sevayats approaching devotees to do the puja on their behalf to the lord. I noticed many visitors were Bengali and sevayats were conversing in Bengali with them. To us too, the sevayats came and started speaking in Bengali. For a moment even I thought where am I standing, Odisha or WB. Anyways I convince myself by saying no one knows their customer better than a businessman and moved on around the temple first. At one place I noticed one sevayat was forcefully asking the devotee to pour water on Shivling and then asked a minimum of Rs 500 from him. Though the person manages to escape with Rs200. Such incidents are very famous and is what visitors fear when one talks about Puri Jagannatha Temple. But none of any sevayats forced us to do anything as such, maybe because we were Odia or something. And this wasn’t the first time, since 2000, whenever I have visited the temple such incidence has never ever happened with me.
At 2:00 PM, after the pahada (gate to the main temple) gets open, we all stand in the queue to enter. Since people were waiting for one hour to enter, so the crowd was more. Many devotees stand in a 9 lane queue that was shaded (lately added by the temple authority). But no guard was present near the check gates (Only during festival time guards are present). So the queue hardly matters at the end. Just after the queue end and before the main entrance gate to the temple, there were no queue and people were standing randomly in a jam pack manner. The whole crowd was waiting for the immediate previous batch that was inside the main temple to clear. Since the sun was overhead and it was May month, the hotness and humidity level of the area was very high. No fan or water sprinklers were present for the devotee. No separate lane was present for old age people or for kids. Standing for 20-40 min. (general clearing time for one batch to complete the darshan) under the scorching sun among hundreds of people in a confined was very difficult for any person. And this difficulties level increases when it comes to the kid (infants) or old age people. Some kids (especially infants were not able to handle it anymore after 20 minutes so some devotee went back because of their kids.
Meanwhile, one person with the help of a sevayat tried to enter through the exit gate, which is just next to the entry gate of the main temple. The policeman next to exit gate didn’t allow him to enter the temple even after constant request from the sevayat. After some time that same policeman allowed some old age person to enter through the gate. Though he didn’t allow any person to assist them, which was kind of fair enough because officially it is not allowed for anyone. That very moment I felt so proud of the policeman. He actually earned my respect.
After 30 minutes, they allowed us to enter. That very moment it was so very rush that everyone had the fear of getting stampede. So everyone was telling their next person to not to push and maintain discipline. The door could only accommodate 4 people inside the temple at once. So for a scatter mass to enter the temple, the door acted as a bottleneck and the struggle increases. Somehow in that congestion with some struggle, we successfully enter the main temple without being hurt. But for old people and patients, it was a difficult task to enter in that circumstance.
The struggle didn’t end here. Rather increased inside the temple. There were no queue inside the temple and the fight among devotee to see the god started. Some sevayats were trying to sell Prasad inside the temple openly which officially they shouldn’t. In that whole crowd, some group of people formed a queue to see the lord. But that particular line was not moving any forward whereas, in the other part where there was no queue, devotees were moving, fighting to see the deities. The policeman inside it too did nothing to make sure devotees move in queues and have a smooth darshan. Again here old age people and children were the worst sufferers in that whole part. Some women in that rush were squeezed by people badly (even with the policeman). ( I won't say anyone was taking any advantage intentionally but that’s what was happening). And even being touched by public no men or women would like that. Policemen too did barely anything to make it better. After our battle, we finally came out and proceed towards Ananda Bazar for mahaprasad.
The moment one enters Ananda Bazar, sevayat will drag you to their own selling point, just the way we were. I found that plastic bags lately have entered the temple premises. Earlier no plastics were seen inside the temple. The containers in which mahaprasad used to sell were the earthen container. Even the dry Prasad that the temple authority sells, gets its cover from bamboo. I was really disappointed to see so many plastics inside the temple which sevayat were giving to almost to everyone.
People were taking mahaprasad from sevayat and were having it near a pindha (elevated place) made by the temple authority for devotees. That was one of the very unhygienic places with leftover food and water on the floor. Even if one find a decent place to sit, the garbage bin next to people eating (which generally overflow into the floor) makes it worst. After lunch, if one goes to the hand wash place, one will find water everywhere near that basin. The floor was wet, slippery and muddy. Garbage bin again here too overflowing on the muddy wet floor make it nasty. The whole system looks messy there.
So now let me tell you what difference I found from what I had seen in 90’s.
Good:
- There were queues at many places and people were following it in a disciplined way
- White lime paint on the floor made it comfortable to walk on sunny day
- Drinking water facilities were set up at different location inside the temple
- Sevayat were not dragging or demanding forcefully for money the way it used to be in 90’s. (From my experience )
- Spitting of tobacco/pan on the corners of the temple was not much seen which I had evidently seen sevayat doing on my last visit (2017)
Here are some of my suggestions:
- Installation of fan and sprinklers should be done near the entrance at least
Plan of entrance area
- For smooth darshan, devotees should be allowed to see in queues
- More power to police officers should be given inside the temple. (one of the major point because the policeman inside the temple presently too have very less power to control a situation)
- Special Training to the policeman to deal with devotee ( especially related to the psychological condition of devotees)
- Special line for old aged people, physically challenged people and infants with one guardian.
- No plastics inside the premises
- Garbage bin should be strategically located and should be cleaned at certain interval
- Better drainage system and facilities near hand wash and drinking water
- Regular cleaning of eatery space to maintain hygiene.
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