The pictures of Jagannath Temple’s interiors once again went viral on social media, exposing the lax security arrangements at the famous shrine, which is on the radar of terror outfits.
Reports said one Hitesh Sonani from Gujarat during his visit to Puri had clicked photos of the interiors of the Shreemandir and uploaded them on his Facebook account. The Facebook page claimed that Sonani is a computer hardware and networking professional. The pictures of inner barricade and ‘Koili Baikuntha’ are posted on his Facebook page. The photos are believed to be taken during New Year when he along with his family members came here to visit the Jagannath. Temple.
After news of the photographs went viral came to light it triggered deep resentment among the devotees who criticised the security arrangements at the temple. Earlier, on November 4, a woman tourist from Bengaluru, identified as Megha Luthra, had clicked photos inside the premises of Sri Jagannath temple here and later made those viral on social media.
In recent past, the photos of Shreemandir’s interiors including the sanctum sanctorum have gone viral on social media several times. Notably, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has banned the use of smartphones and other electronic gadgets on the Shreemandir premises.
The SJTA has put several signboards near the shrine to discourage devotees from carrying mobile phones into the temple.