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No mobile phones to be allowed in Puri’s Jagannath Temple: GC Murmu
GC Murmu said no one, including police and servitors would be allowed to carry mobile phones inside the temple complex
The Srimandir Security Sub-Committee on Tuesday announced a total ban on mobile phones on the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple premises, which would apply not only to devotees but also to servitors and police personnel.
“This is not to inconvenience anyone but to protect the sanctity and security of the shrine,” Girish Chandra Murmu, who heads the temple’s security sub-committee, told reporters on Tuesday.
“No one, including police and sevayats (servitors), will be allowed to carry mobile phones inside. Instead, servitors will be given closed-circuit walkie-talkie devices for communication, said Murmu, the former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.
“The Shree Jagannath Temple is not just a place of worship but a symbol of faith for millions. Our responsibility is to ensure its security — quietly, effectively, and without disrupting its sacred rhythm,” he said.
The security sub-committee is a first-of-its-kind body under the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, chaired by the erstwhile Puri king Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb. The panel is tasked with recommending upgrades following several lapses, including reports of devotees carrying mobile phones and spy cameras inside the sanctum, and of unauthorised filming of temple rituals.
Murmu said a comprehensive security blueprint was being drawn up to ensure foolproof protection of both the temple’s physical and digital assets. “We are preparing a detailed plan that will cover internal and external security. Inputs from the district administration, police, and senior servitors will be taken before finalising it,” he said.
The new plan will likely include measures on risk assessment, surveillance expansion, vulnerability management, and cybersecurity — a first for the temple.
Murmu said the changes can be incorporated into the rules, and there will be no need to amend the Shree Jagannath Temple Act, 1955. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will also be consulted to ensure that any new security measures do not harm the temple’s heritage structure.
Temple security has been a recurring concern in Puri, especially after multiple instances of drones being flown over the temple complex. Senior officials said the regulatory gap has now been addressed after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation officially declared the Jagannath Temple a “Red Zone” or no-fly zone, prohibiting any unmanned aerial vehicle operations in the area until September 25, 2028.
Puri superintendent of police (SP) Prateek Singh said the designation will enable stronger action. “We now have the legal framework to deal strictly with violations. The Red Zone notification is a crucial step toward tightening airspace security around the shrine,” he said.
