Puri temple ditches rodent repellent device over deity disturbance complaints

The rodent situation has led to unlikely inconvenience for the deity at the Jagannath temple in Odisha's city of Puri. A repellent device placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine drew complaints from devotees that the constant noise from the machine was disturbing the sleeping deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra.

The device, which emits an ultrasonic hum, is intended to protect against rodents and pests. It was installed in the 12th-century shrine after small rat holes were spotted on the floor of the temple premises and posed a threat to the interior of the sanctum sanctorum including the attire of the deities, media reports said.

“We tried to find out what gadget it is equipped with by installing it in the sanctum sanctorum. During a product demonstration a few days ago, we heard a hum coming from the machine. According to the operator, the purpose of humming is to scare away the rodents. But the servitors believed that the sound would disturb the sleep of the deities at night. We have decided not to use the machine,” temple administrator (rituals) Jitendra Sahu was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

Due to complaints, the sanctuary authorities decided to do away with the facility and use traditional methods to trap the rats. Sahu also mentioned that they use these methods because they cannot poison the rats inside the temple. The Jagannath temple in Odisha's coastal city attracts thousands of devotees every day.