Cuttack: The Cuttack district administration has acknowledged a lapse in the installation of lightning protection measures at Maa Cuttack Chandi Temple after the temple’s Dadhinauti (ornamental spire) was damaged in a lightning strike during a recent Kalbaisakhi storm.
Reacting to the incident, Cuttack Collector Dattatraya Bhau Saheb Shinde said that no lightning arrester system had been installed at the temple despite the requirement for such protection in major religious structures and buildings.
“The lightning arrester should have been installed along with the Dadhinauti. However, the agency entrusted with the work was planning to install it on an auspicious occasion,” the Collector said.
According to the district administration, while proper earthing arrangements had been made at the temple, the absence of a lightning arrester left the structure vulnerable to lightning strikes. As a result, the Dadhinauti was damaged when lightning struck the temple during the Kalbaisakhi storm on the evening of June 7.
The Collector said that lightning protection measures have now been installed, considering the ongoing pre-monsoon thunderstorm season in the region.
Experts note that large temples and high-rise structures require a comprehensive lightning protection system, including lightning arresters and effective earthing, to safely dissipate electrical discharge and minimise damage during thunderstorms.
The incident has drawn attention to safety compliance in the execution of temple infrastructure projects, particularly ahead of the monsoon season when lightning activity is common across Odisha.
