Non-Hindu Tourists From Bangladesh Enter Jagannath Temple, Case Registered

PURI: Mild tension prevailed at Puri Jagannath temple following the alleged entry of a few non-Hindu tourists from Bangladesh into the shrine on Sunday evening. Only Hindus are allowed to offer prayers inside the 12^th century temple.  

A case has been registered against the non-Hindus at the Singhadwar police station on Monday. 

“We received an allegation from some servitors about the visit of some tourists of another religion to the temple. They have been brought to the Singhadwar police station for verification of their antecedents. Some of them possessed Bangladesh passports. One of them is Hindu. They are being questioned,” Puri SP, Pinak Mishra said. 

Some servitors spotted the Bangladeshi tourists inside the temple and asked their names. The servitors who got confirmed about the religion of the tourists informed the police. The tourists told the cops that they were unaware of the temple’s ban on the entry of non-Hindus, police sources said. 

“We are shocked that the police could not identify the non-Hindus from their appearance. The cops should be more vigilant,” Jogendra Dasmohapatra, a servitor said. The shrine witnessed a chaotic scene following the entry of an unidentified woman foreign tourist on January 7.