Bhubaneswar, May 6: A four-member team from the National Security Guard (NSG) visited the Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri on Monday to conduct a routine security assessment as part of their annual review process.
Puri Superintendent of Police, Vinit Agrawal, told reporters, “A four-member team of NSG commandos has come here to review the security around Shri Jagannath Temple as part of a routine process, which is scheduled annually.”
The elite NSG team evaluated existing security measures at the iconic pilgrimage site, which attracts millions of devotees each year, especially during the famed Rath Yatra. The review focused on critical areas including entry and exit points, crowd control protocols, emergency response readiness, and coordination between temple security and local police.
Officials emphasized that the visit was a standard operating procedure and not linked to any specific threat or intelligence input. The NSG—India’s top counter-terrorism unit—routinely carries out such security audits at major religious and public venues to ensure readiness against any potential threat.
The Shri Jagannath Temple is categorized as a high-security zone, with multiple layers of surveillance and protection in place. The NSG team’s visit is seen as a proactive measure aimed at bolstering the security framework and ensuring the safety of both the temple and the thousands of devotees who visit daily.
Local authorities confirmed that the inspection was carried out smoothly and that the NSG team has shared their observations and suggestions with the district police for possible improvements in the security setup.
Meanwhile, following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, the Union Home Ministry has directed multiple states to conduct civil defence mock drills on May 7. These drills will include activating air raid sirens, training civilians and students on protective measures during attacks, enforcing blackout protocols, camouflaging key installations, and updating and rehearsing evacuation plans.
(With agency inputs)
