Puri: A servitor of Jagannath Temple, Puri, was injured on the temple premises on Saturday. The servitor, Krishnachandra Apat from Balisahi in Puri, was carrying water to the sanctum sanctorum for a ritual when he slipped and fell, sustaining severe injuries on his legs and hands. He was rushed to district headquarters hospital (DHH), Puri, but doctors referred him to Bhubaneswar for treatment.
After the fall, bloodstains were discovered near the ‘Bhitar Katha’ area of the temple. In accordance with temple rituals, other servitors performed the ‘Maha Snana’ purification ritual to cleanse the temple. As a result, both general darshan and ‘Gopala Ballabh’ ritual were delayed by two hours during which the temple was shut.