BHUBANESWAR: With Rath Yatra on July 10, the Puri Jagannath temple administration is in a dilemma as to how to get rid of the crowd on chariots.

Overcrowded chariots create problems for temple administration as well as devotees, who fail to catch a glimpse of the deities. Devotees, wearing priestly attires, find their way to the chariots by allegedly paying hefty money to some priests, sources said.

The temple administration had in the past asked the priests to keep the chariots less crowded, but all hell breaks loose at the last moment. The stampede during 2008 Rath Yatra was allegedly attributed to huge rush on chariots. Since the chariots were overcrowded, the pilgrims standing on the ground became restless leading to the stampede, which killed six persons.

"We have sought cooperation of the servitors to keep the chariots less crowded. They have assured to discourage pilgrims from climbing onto the chariots," temple's spokesperson Laxmidhar Pujapanda said.

However, the temple body is silent on the punishment for violators. "We hesitate to think of punishment because the festival involves religious sentiments of priests and pilgrims. They might react if we impose blanket ban on access to chariots," another temple officer said.

Since the annual festivity of the deities is beamed live by several television channels, a number of priests seize it an opportunity to hog media attention by standing before the deities. According to sources, 84 members (priests, ghantuas (who beat cymbals) and some police) are supposed to be present on Balabhadra's chariot followed by 96 on the chariot of Jagannath and 72 on Subhadra's chariot. But rules went for a toss in previous Rath Yatras with not less than 200 people present on each chariot.

Significantly, three teams, comprising of senior district officials and police personnel, were formed to ensure that pilgrims and unwanted priests stay away from the chariots last year. While Puri district collector was the in-charge of the team to look after Jagannath's chariot, the Puri SP took responsibility of Balabhadra's chariot. Puri additional superintendent of police (ASP) was leading the team for Subhadra's chariot, sources said.

Besides, each chariot was under the custody of a badagrahi, who belongs to daitapati priests' category. "Ideally, role of a badagrahi is to maintain decorum and discipline on chariots. He should identify the priests or persons, who have no service on chariots and subsequently ask police to remove the unwanted persons," said another temple officer.