Bhubaneswar: The temple top (Dadhinauti) of Rameshar temple in Bhubaneswar suffered severe damage in a lightning strike incident on Saturday.
As per sources, the lightning struck at around 10am today while the rituals were going on inside the temple which is situated on the premises of Mausi Maa temple in the Capital City. The visitors and servitors present inside the temple had a close shave in the lightning strike incident.
The lightning strike was so powerful that the Dadhinauti stone broke into pieces and fell scattered on the ground. As per eyewitnesses, there was a huge sound at the time of lightning and the entire area became dark immediately.
After getting information, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials visited the spot and took stock of the situation.
As per the ASI officials, an inquiry into the incident will be launched and the security arrangement at the temple will be made.
“The Dadhinauti of the temple has been damaged in the lightning. A detailed survey of the damage will be done after the rain stops,” said an ASI official.
“I along with my sister were offering obeisance to God in the presence of several servitors when the lightning struck. There was a huge sound and the light went out instantly. The whole temple vibrated and everybody got scared. With Lord’s grace nothing happened to anybody here,” said a visitor.
“When I was preparing Prasad for the Lord, I heard the deafening sound. I came out and saw the broken parts of the Dadhinauti of the temple strewn on the premises. In my 15 years of work as a servitor, nothing of this magnitude has occurred inside the temple premises,” said a servitor.
