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PURI, ORISSA, INDIA, July 6, 2002: Priests of the Jagannath temple in Puri will be taught lessons in etiquette, so that they learn how to deal with visitors to the temple. A Puri-based cultural outfit, Yuva Chetana Sangathana, has decided to launch the orientation program to put an end to the complaints against the priests, known as “pandas.” The priests have consistently been accused of ill treating tourists and pilgrims: They try to extort money and humiliate the tourists when their demands are not met. Often, the pandas demand exorbitant sums as donation and when the visitors do not pay up, they are harassed and abused. At a meeting of the Yuva Chetana Sangathana, Gopiunath Mohanty, the Director of Culture of Orissa government, asserted that the government viewed such lapses on the part of the pandas seriously. He said the culture department would be glad to grant funds to any organization coming forward to teach the pandas the benefits of good behavior towards tourists. Incidentally, over the years the inflow of tourists to Puri and pilgrims to Puri temple has dwindled. The misbehavior of the Puri priests is cited as a major reason for the visitors’ disgust, though pilgrims still number in the tens of thousands. Similar projects have worked with such unlikely candidates as New York City cab drivers.

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