Kendrapada: A 55-year-old devotee allegedly chopped off his tongue and offered it to Lord Hanuman at a temple in Jagatsinghpur district on Wednesday night, triggering panic among priests and locals. The incident took place in Nuagaon village under Abhayachandapur police station limits, where the man was found unconscious in a pool of blood on the temple premises.The injured devotee has been identified as Nehru Mallick (55) of Kabalapur village. He was initially rushed to the community health centre (CHC) at Balikuda and later shifted to the district headquarters hospital in Jagatsinghpur. His condition is stated to be serious.According to a relative, Arakhita Mallick, Nehru had cut off his tongue and placed it before the deity, apparently believing that such a sacrifice would fulfil his wishes. The relative claimed that Nehru had told family members he had dreamt of Lord Hanuman demanding his tongue in exchange of granting his prayers.Police said Nehru arrived at the temple on Wednesday evening, performed rituals and prostrated himself before the idol inside the sanctum for nearly 30 minutes. He then allegedly used a knife to sever his tongue. Soon after, he suffered severe pain and traumatic shock and collapsed.Temple priests alerted the police after finding him unconscious. “He is a regular visitor to the temple. We are investigating all aspects of the case,” said IIC, Abhayachandapur police station, Samir Rout.
