A 29‑year‑old youth from Chhattisgarh, identified as Madhab Gopinath Nayak of Kutela village, was detained on Monday night after climbing onto the Anla Bedha of the Jagannath Temple in Puri, breaching the security cordon.
The incident occurred around 9 pm and immediately sparked concerns over temple security. Police and servitors managed to bring the youth down safely. He was later admitted to Puri District Hospital, where doctors confirmed his mental condition was unstable. His family also submitted medical reports supporting this.
Puri SP Prateek Singh stated that the temple’s security remains strict, but the youth’s mental imbalance led to the breach. “Doctors and family records confirm his mental health issues. He had earlier attempted to climb but was stopped by police,” Singh said.
The youth is currently under detention, with police questioning him to ascertain how he managed to climb and from which point of entry.
Devotees expressed concern, calling the incident proof of weak security arrangements. “If he had caused any untoward incident, it could have been disastrous. Authorities must modernise temple security and act against negligent personnel,” said devotee Prakash Mahapatra from Cuttack.
This marks the third such incident in a year. In 2025, a man from Bhadrak and another from Uttar Pradesh had climbed the temple structure, raising repeated alarms over lapses in vigilance.
