Puri, October 8, 2018: A Sub-Inspector of Police may land in trouble for allegedly circulating interior pictures of Jagannath Temple on social media. Camera and mobile phone are not allowed in the 12th century shrine.
Seabeach Police Station SI Dillip Panda was accused of sharing interior at least six different photos of Jagannath temple on his Facebook account. He had clicked the photos in his mobile while performing Pinda Dana on Baishipahacha and uploaded it on his Facebook.
The matter triggered a furore in the temple town as photography and videography is strictly banned on the temple premises.
According to Section 30-A (4-C) of Shree Jagannath Temple Act-1953, devotees cannot take camera into the shrine. Violation of the Act is a punishable offence and attracts imprisonment up to two months and Rs 1,000 fine. Whenever people were caught with cameras and cell phones, the temple officials usually seized those articles, deleted the photos and slapped fine on violators.
In November last year, a scientist of Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR) in Dhanbad also invited trouble for circulating interior pictures of Jagannath Temple in Puri on social media.
Scientist Sadanand Sharma – who along with the experts of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and officials of State Works Department carried out an inspection inside the shrine’s sanctum sanctorum – had uploaded the photos on his Facebook account in September 2016. The matter came to the light in November last year, causing a furore in the temple town.
The matter was resolved after he tendered an apology before the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration.
