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  • Category: Miscellaneous

    Self discipline is one vital expected from everyone

    On 13th May 2026, I went to Odisha with all our family members to a relative house in Berhampur. Amidst our trip we went to Phulbani, a town where my last brother's marriage held in the year 2008. From there we went to Bhubaneswar for Lingaraj Temple where we had a good darshan of Sri LIngaraja and other shrines. From there we went to Puri (reached by 10.00 night) and on booking a room in a Lodge, they told us to visit the temple in the night itself as it would open in night also.
    Accordingly we kept all our luggage inside the room and went to the temple. In the night hour, it is to our astonishment, a huge crowd was there in the temple. Initially they sent the devotees in a pucca queue but when we entered in the hall of main shrine they let everybody go as they pleased. The crowd jammed each other and the persons standing in the front did not move out. From back,
    side, everywhere the push. The devotees including aged persons, children jamming themselves.
    Though there was a good police protection, they could not do anything other than asking them to move.
    Here we cannot target any one authorities but we, devotees should follow self discipline in making a queue ourselves as the others could have a good darshan.
  • #783788
    I had a similar experience during my visit to Puri last year. The devotees were not moving in a line inside the main temple. A big crowd and people are pushing each other. As mentioned by the author, the devotees standing in the first line opposite to the God are not moving at all and everybody was trying to push the other person. Luckily, my two sons were with me, and both of them lifted me on their arms, and I could have a pleasant darshan. One old lady who came from a long distance requested my sons to lift her, and they did it. She had a good darshan, and she blessed my two sons. As mentioned by the author, self-discipline and concern for fellow passengers are essential qualities, and everyone should possess these, I feel. My wife also got help from my two sons, and we all had a good darshan. There should be a queue inside the main hall, also. I hope the concerned authorities there may decide to have a queue so that all the devotees will have an equal opportunity to have a good darshan.
    drrao
    always confident

  • #783791
    Yes, this is the general experience we also have in respect of most major famous and popular temples. Due to such bad experiences, added with the greedy money seeking attitudes, many times we have felt not to visit such places and have developed a sort of aversion too. Of late the same trend is coming in temples in South also. I had a very bad experience in the Big Temple Thanjavur a few months back.

    I agree that the visiting crowd is huge in these temples. But there should be good crowd management. There should be some systems in place and changes and reforms taking into consideration of the enthusiastic brimming crowd.
    Unnecessary and avoidable barriers and barricades are put in most temples, and the temple officials almost push and pull the pilgrims. In that melee pilgrims do not get even a fraction of a second to see the deity. Corruption by the temple staff and outsiders add to this.

    Disagreeing with the author, I can say that things are going without much damage at least to this extent only because of the self discipline and control of major section of the pilgrims. A few exceptional ones apart. Most pilgrims show utmost tolerance and patience even under stress of delay, discomfort and disdain. Crowd management has to be taught as a major subject for the law enforcing personnel as well as voluntary and official personnel in such places.

    A lot has to be done in this regard.

  • #783794
    Venkateswaran sir, patience and tolerance is there, I agree. But when the people push this side and that side our intention of seeing God is distorted and that too we went to the Puri Temple by 11.30 PM night. My request to the public /devotees to feel that persons are standing behind them. If they form queue by themselves the darshan would be simple and pleasant, is my request. My posting here is not to mention my visit or experience but by seeing this,(as ISC is seen by many persons countrywide) we ourselves can intimate others without fighting or getting annoyed.

  • #783795
    In my opinion, crowd management is very vital. In the Puri temple, why have they not made a single line queue so that people will go in one line to see the God? I don't know whether there is any reason for this. In Ramajanma Bhoomi, the darshan is very well organised, I understand. Similar arrangements should be made in all other famous temples so that devotees can have a quick and good Darshan of God.
    drrao
    always confident


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