Fact Check: 2020 video of Puri Jagannath Temple flag fire resurfaces, servitor calls out rumours
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Fact Check: 2020 video of Puri Jagannath Temple flag fire resurfaces, servitor calls out rumours")
Odisha’s Puri Jagannath Temple Photograph: (Credit: ANI)
An old 2020 video showing a flag catching fire at Odisha's Puri Jagannath Temple has resurfaced online. Temple servitor clarifies the clip is outdated and misleading.
A video of the sacred flag at Odisha’s Puri Jagannath Temple catching fire is doing the rounds online. The flag, known as the ‘Patitapabana Bana’, is hoisted atop the temple tower by a servitor who climbs over the dome. Although the video is from 2020, it has re-emerged on social media platforms. While many netizens and devotees have called out the clip as old, some are still falling for the rumour.
Speaking to WION, Kaliprasad Routray, a servitor at the Jagannath Temple, said, “I had not come across any such video initially, but when I watched it, I realised it was an old video from 5-6 years ago. Also, it was not the main flag that had caught fire. Some mischievous elements may have shared the old video today for quick publicity or to go viral.”
The circulated video caused concern among devotees and so WION reached out to a servitor fir clarification to stop the spread of misinformation.
The original incident occurred in March 2020 during the annual Papanasini Ekadashi rituals. Servitors of the Chunara sect traditionally tasked with scaling the 214-foot shrine were placing the sacred Mahadipa (a large ceremonial oil lamp) at the top of the temple spire near the Neelachakra (the iron wheel). Due to heavy wind gusts at that height, a flame from the grand lamp accidentally brushed against a smaller, auxiliary flag tied nearby.
Servitors present at the scene acted swiftly to control the small flame, preventing any serious incident. The main flag, the sacred Patitapabana Bana, remained unaffected, and no structural damage occurred to the ancient temple complex. Daily rituals, worship schedules, and customary offerings inside the sanctum sanctorum proceeded entirely uninterrupted on that evening.
Despite these facts, the clip continues to be re-uploaded periodically without context, leading to unwarranted panic on platforms like X, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Devotees are advised to verify information through official temple channels rather than relying on unverified viral posts.
