BHUBANESWAR, July 4, 2013: Succumbing to mounting pressure from priests ofJagannath temple, the shrine administration has dropped its plan of preventing pilgrims from climbing atop chariots and touching the deities.

After a marathon meeting at Puri on Wednesday, the temple managing committee, led by Gajapati Dibyasingh Deb decided that the chariots would be thrown open to the public. "Like previous years, we will allow pilgrims to climb the chariots," temple's chief administrator Arvind Padhee told media persons.

However, the temple authorities said only 'orthodox Hindus' will be allowed to climb the chariots. " Just as non-Hindus are denied entry in Jagannath temple, they will not be permitted to go atop the chariots," said temple spokesperson Laxmidhar Pujapanda.

Source: The Times of India, DT. July 4, 2013.