How Puri’s Jagannath temple is scrambling to fend off an invasion of rats

Even as entry to the Jagannath temple in Puri is strictly regulated, categorically laying down who all are barred, it has left its doors ajar for non-human creatures. So much so that a rodent population has taken over the main sanctum sanctorum, creating unprecedented mayhem. But since Lord Jagannath abhors bloodshed or cruelty to living beings, the administration is at its wits’ end to control the colonies of rats without harming them.

The Covid years, prolonged lockdown and drastic reduction in footfall had led the rats to proliferate. Not just that, according to servitors, most are as big as cats and too large for conventional rat-traps. Poisoning is ruled out; besides, poisoned rats can contaminate the food offered (prasada) to the deity. As it is, the rats devour flowers and leaves and, with numbers multiplying, nibble away at everything that come their way. The beautiful silk and cotton apparel, part of the god’s wardrobe, are also under assault. Fortunately, the insatiable vermin cannot chip at the deities themselves, for though they are made of wood, they are also polished with oil, camphor and sandalwood paste.

According to a servitor, temple rules clearly state that no life, however insignificant, can be taken within the temple premises. But, if the death of a creature happens as part of the natural food chain—if cats kill rats, for example—no harm is done. Priyadarshan Patnaik, national convenor of Sri Jagannath Sena, said that cats were the only answer to control the rat population without violating the rules. The Puri administration, for the moment, is trying to install specially designed rat-catchers for trapping the large rodents. This is because the bigger rats look intimidating enough to scare away cats.

Even as the rampaging rats are yet to be brought under control, Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal has sparked a new debate by remarking that he’s in favour over allowing foreign tourists inside the temple. Here again, rules governing the temple are clear—only Hindus are allowed entry—but the governor’s proposition has taken all by surprise. The last time such a proposal came was from the Supreme Court as it heard a PIL filed by one Meenakshi Parhi. In July 2018, the apex court quoted the Bhagavad Gita to urge the temple administration to allow entry to non-Hindus. Its principal argument was the inherent inclusivity of Hinduism. However, the Odisha government left it to the temple authorities to take the final call.

For obvious reasons, political parties have usually avoided the sensitive issue. This time, too, all political players in Odisha, like the Biju Janata Dal, BJP and Congress have ignored Lal’s suggestion. With the state assembly polls and general elections scheduled next year, they don’t want to touch religious sentiments and queer the political pitch. Already, Ganeshi Lal’s comment is being read as being the observation of the BJP, because of the former’s association with the party. Lal was the party’s unit chief in Haryana and has authored a book on the Bhagavad Gita. Understandably, given the huge sentiments attached to the Jagannath temple in Odisha, the BJP is treading cautiously.

Patnaik has said that when Lord Jagannath—his name means ‘lord of the world’—appears in public annually, showing himself to all people irrespective of religion, the need of allowing non-Hindu visitors to the temple do not arise. “Where in the world will you find the deity coming out of the sanctum sanctorum to meet devotees? Jagannath is the Lord of all. When it’s time for naba kalebar (a ritual when the wooden gods are replaced with new ones after every 12 years) the old deities are buried, a practice prevalent among Muslims and Christians. It only goes to show that our God belongs to all,” he argued.

At the same time, Patnaik said that people remember that fact that foreigners had attacked the temple 17 times in the past. He also said that once, the king of Puri, Ram Chandra Dev, married the daughter of Aurangzeb’s general, Taki Khan, to save the temple from plunder and rapine.

The matter of allowing non-Hindus and foreigners rests there—in the status quo. As for the rats running amok, the consensus is to evolve a natural way of getting rid of them. All they need is a Pied Piper of Puri.

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