Ban on entry of smartphones inside Jagannath Temple

Bhubaneswar: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has imposed a ban on entry of smartphones inside Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri from January 1, 2018.

The administration banned the entry of smartphones inside Jagannath Temple after photographs of the temple premises went viral on social media platforms.

The decision applies not only to the servitors but also on politicians, ministers and bureaucrats.

The SJTA has also launched counters for selling mobile phones having a logo of SJTA to servitors which do not have camera or internet facilities.

“The persons who are entitled to carry a mobile phone inside the temple should carry a phone without camera or internet facilities. We have given a tentative date for the execution of this order but that may vary depending on the situation,” informed Pradip Kumar Das, administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA).