Puri, Jan 15: A video showing a person using a mobile phone at Ananda Bazaar inside the Jagannath Temple in Puri has gone viral on social media, triggering fresh concerns over security lapses at the revered shrine.

The incident has raised serious questions about how the individual managed to enter the temple premises with a mobile phone despite multiple layers of security checks and repeated advisories strictly prohibiting the carrying of electronic devices inside the temple. In the viral footage, the person is reportedly seen talking on the phone for a considerable time at Ananda Bazaar.

This is not the first instance of such a breach. In recent months, several photos and videos allegedly shot inside the temple have surfaced online, pointing to repeated violations of the ban on mobile phones.

In October last year, a mobile phone was recovered from within the temple premises, following which a temple gumasta (employee) was detained on allegations of taking photographs inside the shrine. He was later interrogated at the Singhadwar police station.In another incident, two youths were caught using a hidden camera fitted into spectacles to secretly take photos inside the temple. They were promptly apprehended by police personnel.

These repeated incidents have prompted the police and temple administration to take serious note of the situation and further tighten security arrangements to prevent such breaches in future.