Cyclone Fani leaves a trail of devastation in Lokanath temple

Puri: It's not the world famous Jagannath temple that witnessed huge damages by the rampaging 'Fani' fury. Many other world heritage sites, historical monuments too are not spared. And the famous Sri Lokanath temple in Puri is not an exception.

As per reports, Lokanath temple in Puri district incurred severe damages owing to the fury unleashed by the extremely severe cyclone Fani that made landfall near Puri on May 3.

Under its impact, the crown of the Parvati temple within the precincts of Lokanath temple has seen major damages, and the four lion statues atop the temple sculpted on the crown was also found broken into pieces. However, it seems the fury of Fani had no impact on the main temple of Lokanath, dedicated to Lord Shiva.

On the other hand, the 'Fani' winds have uprooted many vital trees inside the temple complex that have religious significance like Mango and 'Boula' trees, and which are over thousand years old.

"When we reached the temple as soon as the cyclone impact was over, we found a trail of devastation all across the temple area. "The scene was like as if this holy place had lost its sacred sheen," recalled one of the servitors of Lokanath temple.

Now, the district administration has deployed Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) to restore sanity in the famous temple and remove the branches and twigs of uprooted trees, so that tourists and devotees can again visit the hallowed religious site.