Two drones were spotted circling the golden spire (chuda) of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Ouri for nearly 30 minutes on Wednesday evening, triggering panic among devotees and prompting swift police action.
The incident occurred while the sacred Patitapabana Bana — the temple’s ceremonial flag — was being changed. The drones were reportedly filming the ritual when they were noticed hovering over the temple’s highest point. The timing coincided with the ongoing inventory and counting of the Ratna Bhandar (temple treasury), adding to the concern.
Eyewitnesses and devotees expressed serious alarm, with many raising questions about security lapses at one of India’s most revered pilgrimage sites. Police responded immediately and arrested two individuals identified as the drone operators.
The arrested persons are Kalyan Das from Konnagar and Samrat Biswas from Rishra, both in Hooghly district, West Bengal. Puri police seized both drones and took the duo into custody for questioning.
According to Puri Superintendent of Police Prateek Singh, the men told investigators they had come to shoot video of the Patitapabana Bana being hoisted and were unaware of the strict no-fly zone regulations around the temple. “Singhadwar police station has detained both and is conducting further interrogation,” Singh said.
Flying drones over the Jagannath Temple premises is strictly prohibited and has been declared a no-fly zone. However, similar violations have occurred in the past, with several people — both knowingly and unknowingly — attempting to capture aerial footage of the holy site.
Police have emphasised that the matter is being treated seriously and have appealed to the public not to fly drones or any unmanned aerial vehicles near the temple.
Further investigation is underway to ascertain whether the duo had any other motives or were acting alone.
