Bhubaneswar: Jagannath Temple in Puri witnessed high drama on Monday evening when an unidentified devotee risked his life by scaling the 214‑ft (65 metres) shrine to retrieve his purse reportedly snatched by a monkey on its premises. “Our personnel spotted and asked him to come down. He descended safely on his own. He claimed he chased a monkey that had taken his purse and reached the peak in the process. He is being questioned to ascertain the motive,” SP (Puri) Prateek Singh said.The sight of the man atop the temple sent shockwaves among servitors and police personnel, who immediately raised an alarm. “Unmindful of the danger, he climbed the temple. Luckily, he managed to come down unharmed,” said servitor Shayam Mohapatra, who criticised the shrine police for inadequate vigilance.Notably, police installed barricades last Aug at vulnerable points around the temple’s main structure to prevent devotees from scaling it. Despite these measures, several incidents of devotees attempting to climb the shrine have been reported, raising serious safety and security concerns. “We have intensified vigilance and sensitised both security personnel and servitors to monitor devotees closely within the premises,” another police officer said.Access to the temple’s summit is strictly reserved for servitors of the Chunara Nijog, who perform the sacred Dhwajabandha ritual of tying flags near the Neela Chakra at the pinnacle. The Mahadeepa ritual, involving the carrying of a sacred lamp to the summit, is also performed twice a month during evening hours.Sarat Mohanty, a servitor who regularly ties flags atop the shrine, appealed to devotees to refrain from such perilous acts. “Climbing the temple is not only dangerous but also a violation of tradition. Police must remain vigilant to prevent accidents,” he said.
