BHUBANESWAR: At least 10 servitors were injured when the wooden idol of Lord Balabhadra fell on them while they were carrying it from the chariot to Gundicha temple in Puri on Tuesday evening.
Around 9pm, at least 70 servitors were engaged in the ‘Pahandi ritual‘ to carry the 7-ft-high idol of Lord Balabhadra, weighing over 150kg, to Gundicha temple. Some servitors slipped on the makeshift ladder that had been built to carry the deity from the chariot to the shrine.They got trapped under the idol and were later rescued by other servitors and police personnel.
“The Pahandi ceremony resumed soon. Pahandi of Lord Jagannath and Devi Subhadra went smoothly. It was an unfortunate incident. Such an accident never occurred in the past,” a senior temple official said, adding, “We are trying to find out the reason behind the mishap.”
Temple sources said the condition of the servitors is stable. Chief minister Mohan Majhi expressed concern over the incident and sent deputy chief minister Pravati Parida and law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan to Puri to take stock of the situation. The chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra reached Gundicha temple, their birthplace, on Monday, a day after Rath Yatra.
“We demand a proper inquiry. We found the presence of huge number of servitors during the Pahandi ritual. The chariot was overcrowded. The ladder was not properly tied,” a servitor alleged.