The entire incident left temple priests outraged. According to police, the foreign visitor, Sebastian, dressed like a sadhu. That made it difficult for security guards at the entrance to make out whether he is a Hindu or not. “He looked like a sadhu. He was wearing ochre robes of Hindu monks and yellow kurta with a shawl. He had also anointed sindur on forehead,” Singhadwar police station inspector-in-charge Arun Dalai.
Fearing more tension, the policemen escorted Sebastian out of the temple and detained him at the office of the Jagannath temple for hours.
Sebastian admitted that he knew about the temple norm that “only Hindus” are allowed inside the temple. “I knew that. But I am a converted-Hindu. I embraced Hinduism five years ago. I am a disciple of Sonia Swami, a late religious leader from India,” Sebastian said. “I just wanted to have a darshan of Jagannath,” he quipped.
Even the stalemate “which categories of Hindus can enter the shrine” continues till today at the Jagannath temple.