**Puri:** After an ugly scene unfolded on Friday as devotees broke barricades and stormed into Puri Srimandir over delayed darshan, the daily rituals finally began smoothly last evening and sources said that everything is peaceful today as well.
Today morning, Pahuda ritual was completed at 3.15 am, Singhadwara opening ritual was done by Bhitaracha (servitor) at 5:25am, Deula Dwaraphita (opening of sanctum sanctorum’s doors) by 5.45 am and Mangala alati by 6.40 am.
Informing about development, Puri Collector Jyoti Prakash Das had said last evening, “As the devotees were deprived of darshan since early morning, we have decided to allow darshan till midnight tonight,” said Das.
The entire episode began when on Thursday night, when a senior servitor Bhabani Mohapatra got involved in a scuffle with police personnel deployed at the Singhadwar. The clash occurred after cops demanded some devotees, known to Mohapatra, to produce identity cards for entry.
The matter turned worse and a fight ensued between Mohapatra and the cops. The servitor sustained a blow on his face and was injured, following which the issue has snowballed into a major controversy on Friday as Mohapatra is the ‘Bhitaracha Sevayat’, who has the keys and is authorised to first open the doors of the inner sanctum sanctorum and start the daily rituals.
While he refused to open the main door of the temple, anxious devotees stood waiting for 12 hours on Friday outside the temple and the Holy Trinity too remained fasting. After a long wait, devotes broke open the barricades and had rushed into the temple following which a clash ensued between the public and cops. SJTA chief Pradipta Mohapatra had left the decision on conscience of servitors and everything finally returned to normalcy in the evening.
**Also Read:** [Puri Servitor-Police Clash: Watch Devotees Breaking Barricade & Storming Into Puri Srimandir](https://ommcomnews.com/odisha-news/puri-servitor-police-clash-watch-devotees-breaking-barricade-storming-into-puri-srimandir)