Puri: An eagle was seen perching atop the sacred flag of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri on Thursday, triggering intense discussions among devotees and local residents.
According to eyewitnesses, the bird briefly perched on the ‘Patitapaban Bana’ — the holy flag attached to the Neelachakra of the 12th-century shrine — before flying away after a short while. The unusual sight drew the attention of devotees present near the temple and quickly became a topic of conversation in the pilgrim town.
Many devotees consider the sight of birds sitting on top of the temple structure to be a bad omen, and the incident led to speculation and debate among locals. The temple is associated with a long-held belief that birds do not fly directly over the shrine, a claim often cited as one of its unique mysteries.
However, similar incidents have been reported in the past. In April last year, an eagle was also spotted perched atop the temple, an occurrence that challenged the popular belief that birds never fly over the sacred shrine.
While the sight stirred curiosity and discussion among devotees, temple authorities did not report any disruption to rituals or temple activities.
