Puri (Odisha), Dec 15 (PTI) The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration on Thursday said a complete ban would be imposed on carrying smartphones inside the 13th century shrine here from next month.

The restriction will come into effect from January 1, 2023.

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A similar ban was earlier imposed only for devotees, but now the restriction will be applicable for everyone, including police personnel, the SJTA said.

Servitors will also have to deposit their smartphones before entering the temple premises, it said.

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“Special arrangements will be made for the safe custody of the phones,” SJTA chief administrator Vir Vikram Yadav told reporters.

Officials and servitors, however, can carry basic mobile phones which don't have the features of photography and videography, he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)