Bhubaneswar: A drone was found flying over the Lord Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Puri early Sunday morning, raising serious security concerns. The drone, which was seen flying over the temple during 'mangal aarti', caught devotees by surprise.
A video captured during the flying of the drone showed the drone against the backdrop of a dark sky appearing as an illuminant object racing past the Lord Jagannath Temple amid chit-chat of devotes on the premises.
The unauthorised drone hovered over Srimandir's Nilachakra and Dhadinauti. The visibility of the drone in the high-security zone raised many eyebrows as servitors and devotees questioned the possibility of the incident amid tight security. They also raised concerns over the security of Lord Jagannath temple.
Speaking on the incident, superintendent of police of Puri, P Vineet Agarwal said, "The police received information about a drone flying over the temple today. The investigation into the incident is going on. Two teams have been formed for investigation. Various angles are being explored. We will soon arrest the person and take legal action against the offender. In addition, a watch tower will be set up around the temple and police will be deployed. The security of the temple will be tightened further."
Jagannath temple servitor, Gourahari Pradhan also raised terror attack alarm. Pradhan said, "Sri Mandir is a target of extremists. Therefore, the drone flying over the temple and the police not finding its trail is a worrying incident. The police should investigate this and take strict action against the person, who did such an illegal act. This will prevent such incidents from happening again in the coming days. The state government should use modern technology to protect the Sri Mandir. Otherwise, such incidents at the Sri Mandir in the coming days will not be avoided."
Last year, a similar incident happened. A YouTuber, who flew the drone in prohibited areas and captured pictures, later sought an apology. A similar incident also happened in 2023. In the early hours, the unauthorised drone was spotted over Jagannath Temple in Puri, evoking outcry.
