Puri: The Chief Administrator of the Shri Jagannath Temple, Dr.Arabinda Kumar Padhee has formally requested the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to initiate disciplinary action following the publication of pictures depicting the temple’s interior on social media.
The incident, which occurred late last night, has sparked concern among devotees and led to a swift response from temple authorities.
According to the Chief Administrator, Dr.Padhee the interior pictures were posted on social media by the ASI.
Upon being alerted, the Chief Administrator immediately contacted the ASI Director General, leading to the prompt deletion of the images. However, the pictures had already been shared, causing a ripple of strong reactions among devotees of Shri Jagannath.
In a letter addressed to the ASI Director General, the Chief Administrator Dr.Padhee acknowledged the ASI’s commendable work in the renovation of the temple’s Ratnabhandar (treasury).
However, the letter emphasized that accompanying these updates with interior photographs of the temple on social media has inadvertently “affected the religious sentiments of the devotees.”
The Chief Administrator stressed the paramount importance of maintaining the sanctity and spirituality of the Shri Jagannath Temple for all devotees, the temple administration, and the state government.
The letter concluded by advising the ASI to exercise greater caution in the future when publishing any material related to the temple and to take necessary steps to prevent such occurrences.