[Watch] Vandalism At Puri Jagannath Temple: Chief Secy Says CCTV Reveals One Person Hid Inside ‘Rosaghara’

Puri: A day after 43 earthen stoves were found vandalised at Jagannath Temple ‘Rosaghara’ (kitchen), Chief Secretary Suresh Mahapatra and Police DG Sunil Kumar Bansal visited the temple and took stock of the probe into the incident.

Speaking to mediapersons after the visit, Mahapatra said CCTV footage revealed that one person hid inside the temple kitchen to avoid detection and he is believed to have ransacked the chulahs. “The person will be identified soon and steps are being taken to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in future,” he said.

However, there seems to be no specific motive behind vandalisation of chulhas, the Chief Secretary said and added that more measures will be taken to tighten the security and monitor the facility 24 hours.

Police DG Sunil Bansal said “all required arrangements to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in the future will be made. The security will be strengthened and steps like increasing the number of CCTVs with better clarity will be installed after a through probe.”

Earlier in the day, Puri SP Kanwar Vishal Singh had informed the media that a five-member police team led by Additional SP (Temple Security) is investigating the incident, which sparked resentment among the cooks (suaras) of the 12th-century shrine and lakhs of devotees around the world.

An FIR has been registered at Singhadwar police station in this connection under multiple sections of the IPC and Section 30 (A), 4 (b) of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Act. “An internal probe has also been launched. The footage of CCTVs inside the temple is being examined,” said Puri Collector Samarth Verma.

The stoves were found broken, fully or partially, when the doors of the ‘Rosaghara’ were opened on Sunday morning for cooking of elaborate divine food called Mahaprasad and other delicacies.  It is being suspected that the hearths were vandalised using crowbars after sandhya dhupa alati was performed and raj bhoga (sandhya dhupa) was offered to Lord Jagannath and His sibling deities.

One of the biggest kitchens in the country, ‘Rosaghara’ had about 240 earthen stoves.

The needle of suspicion is pointed at servitors, who are engaged in the cooking rituals, as no other temple official can enter the kitchen. The temple administrator had earlier said that they are not sure who did it, but the servitors who are responsible would face disciplinary action.

Meanwhile, Senior BJP leader Bijoy Mohapatra blamed the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration and the district administration for the incident and claimed that there were aware of the disturbance between the sevayats in the Rosa Ghara two days back.

Union Education Minister and senior BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan tweeted that disruption of Mahaprasad preparation is distressing. The state government and temple administration should take this matter seriously and ensure such incidents do not recur in the future,” he added.