Temple rituals in the famous Jagannath temple in Puri came to a halt on Friday after a 45-year-old man from Chile entered the temple premises. Only Hindus are allowed inside the 12th century temple. Several foreigners as well as Indians belonging to other religions have been barred from entering the temple in the past. Sebastian,a Chilean national,was stopped by the police while attempting to enter the temple through the main gate. He later managed to enter the temple through the south gate. He was caught by some priests and handed over to the temple administration,said inspector-in-charge of Sri Jagannath temple police station A K Dalua. Sebastian was later released after he pleaded ignorance of the temple rules. Daily rituals were delayed for over six hours as priests performed mahasnana ( sacred bath of Lords) to purify the desecrated shrine. The incident comes two days after priests at a Shiva temple in Bhadrak district objected to the entry of State Women & Child Development Minister Pramila Mallik,a Dalit,and cleansed the temple after her visit. In 2005,crown princess Sirindhorn of Thailand was denied permission to visit the Jagannath temple. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was also not allowed inside the temple as she had married a Parsi.
