Puri: A selfie by a person inside Sri Jagannath temple premises and some other photos of the 12th century shrine have gone viral on social media.
Yugal Kishore Baishnav, a native of Raipur in Chhattisgarh, has reportedly taken the photographs and later uploaded it on his Facebook account.
After the incident came to light Monday, it has raised several questions over security arrangements at the temple as similar photos had come to fore in the recent past. While it is yet to be ascertained when the photographs were taken, the issue has sent the temple administration and police into tizzy.
Sources said Baishnav uploaded some photographs of the interior of Srimandir. Besides, he also shared his selfies clicked near Mukti Mandap and Navikata Mandap. In the photographs some devotees were also seen lighting lamps near Navikata Mandap.
The photographs suggest that they were clicked in the night.
In view of intelligence reports of possible terror attack on Srimandir, the security arrangements at the shrine have been intensified. The National Security Guard (NSG) personnel also visited the shrine and examined the security arrangements. While metal detectors have been installed at each gate, security personnel have been deployed to keep a close watch on visitors. The devotees are properly checked before allowing them into the premises. There is ban on carrying cell phones inside the temple. Despite these restrictions, instances of clicking photographs and video recording of temple premises have come to light posing a threat to the shrine.
A selfie by a woman from West Bengal inside the temple had gone viral on Facebook in a similar manner. Likewise, several photos of Jagamohan and sanctum sanctorum of the temple were uploaded by Sadanand Sharma, a staff of Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad, who had cooperated in repairing the sanctum sanctorum.
When contacted, Srimandir public relations officer Laxmidhar Pujapanda said, “The Srimandir administration has taken note of earlier such incidents. The issues were discussed at the Chhatisa Nayog meeting. Measures are being taken to ensure that such incidents will not reoccur. Checking of cell phones at the gates will be intensified.”
PNN