Overview

• Raw graffiti found late Tuesday on the walls of Budhi Maa Thakurani temple near the Balisahi entrance warned “terrorists will destroy the Jagannath Temple,” referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi and listed phone numbers.
• Puri police formed a dedicated investigation team and say CCTV verification indicates the messages were inscribed Tuesday night, with preliminary leads but no arrests yet.
• Several decorative lights within the Heritage Corridor were also damaged around the graffiti sites, raising fears of a coordinated threat.
• Devotees and servitors have criticized security lapses after recalling a July breach when unknown men scaled the temple’s outer wall and residents allege many corridor cameras are non-functional.
• Officials are evaluating reports of a mentally unstable individual seen scribbling in the area, though that theory remains unverified as the probe continues.