More than 20 people were hurt in a violent conflict between two villages in the Puri district of Odisha on Monday, which was caused by a disagreement over the rights to worship temples, according to authorities.
Residents of Tentulia and Bagulapari villages were involved in the event, which happened within the Satyabadi police boundaries. The conduct of puja ceremonies at the Narayani Temple, situated in Tentulia hamlet, is said to have caused tension. Nonetheless, the shrine has long been frequented and used for rituals by the people of Bagulapari.
Sources claim that a violent fight between members of the two villages resulted from some Bagulapari residents apparently locking the temple, which caused the situation to worsen. Both groups began throwing stones at one another as the verbal dispute quickly descended into violence.