Cuttack, Jul 30: Rising floodwaters of the Mahanadi River inundated the revered Maa Bhattarika Temple at Badamba in Odisha's Cuttack district on Wednesday, prompting temple authorities to shift the movable idol of the presiding deity to a temporary shrine on higher ground.

Water entered the temple's Gambhira as the Mahanadi continued to swell following incessant rainfall across the river basin. In keeping with a long-standing tradition observed during floods, temple servitors relocated the movable idol of Maa Bhattarika to the Sara Ghar on Ratnagiri Hill, where daily worship and rituals will continue until the water recedes.

Before shifting the deity, priests performed all prescribed religious rituals to ensure the uninterrupted continuation of the temple's daily niti and other customary practices. The relocation is a customary measure taken whenever floodwaters enter the temple premises during the monsoon season.

Temple servitors, along with the local administration, are closely monitoring the flood situation as water continues to remain inside the temple complex. Authorities have also put in place necessary measures to safeguard the temple property and ensure that all religious observances continue smoothly despite the flooding.