Puri: Ban On Smartphones Inside Jagannath Temple Comes Into Force From Today

Puri: The decision to ban smartphones inside the Sri Jagannath Temple in Puri came into force from today. All persons including the administrative staff of the temple authorities, servitors, and Jagannath Tempe Police are henceforth banned from taking smartphones inside the temple.

Those servitors and administrative officials entering into the temple will have to deposit their phones at the special counters set up near the Singha Dwara, Dakhsina Dwara and the Paschima Dwara. For emergency needs, two smartphones will be there inside the temple premises – one at the Srimandira Garada and the other one at the Temple Administrative Office.

Temple administration staff and some select servitors who have the important duties inside the temple are allowed to take keypad phones with them inside the temple. The decision to ban smartphones for all inside the temple was taken last month during the meeting of the Temple Management Committee.

A number of complaints were received regarding after photos of the Sri Jagannath Temple inside photos went viral posing threat to the security of the temple.