Major fire breaks out at Ananta Basudev Temple; 22 rooms gutted

Bhubaneswar: At least 22 rooms of Roshaghara (kitchen) of Ananta Basudev Temple in the city were razed to ashes after a major fire broke out at the temple premises in wee hours today.

Since the kitchen rooms were thatched with paddy straw, the fire engulfed the entire complex in few minutes, informed sources.

As per reports locals spotted the flames and informed the fire tenders at around 4 am. Upon information, three fire tenders immediately rushed to the temple and doused the fire.

However, the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Authorities are also yet to assess the amount of damage to the temple property.

Meanwhile, the fire mishap is likely to affect the ‘Mahaprasad’ sale and distribution since people in and around the city depend on the temple for its special bhog.

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Earlier in 2008, a similar fire outbreak caused extensive damage in the temple.  Other minor fire incidents have also been reported at the temple from time to time.

Ananta Basudev Temple is a famous shrine near the Lord Lingaraj’s Bindusagar tank.