Deities finally escorted into Gundicha Temple

PURI: After spending a horrible time on the chariots following ‘ceasework’ by the servitors to protest police excesses, the deities were finally escorted into the sanctum sanctorum of Gundicha temple on Tuesday. The servitors had stopped the observance of all rituals after police caned them and the devotees injuring many of them. After holding hour-long meeting, the servitors decided to perform all the rituals of the deities without police presence in the cordon. Police on Tuesday stood guard only in the outer cordon.  The confederation of several servitor bodies of the temple, known as Chhatisha Nijog, conducted an emergency meeting on Tuesday and resolved to perform all the rituals without police assistance. They also refused all financial and other such assistance being provided to the injured servitors. The Nijog said  they would not participate in any meeting with the administration. The meeting condemned the administration for not attending to the injured servitors. On Tuesday, the servitors began ‘pahandi’ of the Lords at about 8 pm which continued till late in the night.