Puri: Some rodents in the Srimandir sanctum sanctorum have been a constant source of annoyance for the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) officials and servitors even though three of them were caught in a trap Friday.
SJTA sources claimed that rodents have been damaging the clothes and garlands offered to Lord Jagannath and his siblings at the sanctum sanctorum. The SJTA has procured a special trap from Berhampur to catch the mice. Srimandir tradition forbids the SJTA to use poison or chemicals to kill the rodents at the sanctum sanctorum, sources said.
Temple sources claimed that authorities Friday caught three large rodents and released them at a distant place, sources added.
“Mice have been troubling us for last five months. We had installed metal nets at the sanctum sanctorum including the Kalahaat gate and a water passage system after consulting engineers. However, the initiative failed to prevent the rodents from entering into the sanctum sanctorum,” said SJTA administrator (Niti) Pradip Das.
According to Das, the SJTA would procure at least two more special traps from Berhampur to catch the rodents. “Each trap is costing us around Rs 1,200. Only Lord Jagannath can help us to catch the rodents,” Das said.
Rodent menace at Srimandir; SJTA leaves it to the Lord
