Hordes of rodents invade Puri’s Jagannath Mandir; nibble away apparel of deities

Puri Jagannath Temple – file image

Photo: PTI

puri: Hordes of rodents have invaded Puri’s famous Jagganath temple and are gnawing away the clothes of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and the goddess Subhadra. Temple officials are concerned about the situation and have sounded the alarm.

A temple official said that rodents have done a lot of damage and the servants are worried because the idols are made of wood. A servant said, “Rats spoil the faces of deities, and it becomes very difficult to perform rituals amidst the rodents and their waste. They destroy the robes, garlands, and other things of the deities.”

According to a report by the Times of India, cockroaches and rats invaded Jagganath Temple in 2020 and 2021 when the shrine was closed for a long time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, the rodent population increased significantly.

Temple manager Jitendra Sahoo said they are aware of the problem and are taking preventive measures to get rid of the rodents. Sahoo said: “As a temporary measure, we are setting up traps. Those trapped will be released far from the shrine outside. We don’t use rat poison at all.”