Camera phones restricted for sevayats inside Sri Mandir in Odisha’s Puri

Puri: Days after several selfies clicked inside the Sri Mandir premises in Odisha’s Puri started doing the rounds on social media raising questions over security arrangements at the 12th-century shrine, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) today decided to impose restriction on use of camera mobile phones by sevayats inside the temple.

A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of Chhatisa Nijoga chaired by SJTA chief administrator Pradeep Jena.

The servitors and temple staff will be allowed to use non-camera mobile phones and they will be provided with special feature phones and Closed User Group (CUG) numbers, informed Jena.

The SJTA will also provide logos to be put on these phones.

Notably, a selfie by a woman from West Bengal inside the temple premises had gone viral on social media.

Similarly, two other selfies inside the Jagannath temple premises by a youth had come to fore as well.