Puri Jagannath temple authorities have registered a police complaint after a series of AI-generated images and videos of the deity went viral. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) filed a formal complaint at the Singhadwar police station on Monday, specifically naming a social media handle, 'vishvrajcreation', for allegedly creating and spreading these fabricated visuals.
According to temple officials, the content is not just unauthorised but is culturally offensive. One particularly controversial video depicts milk being poured over Lord Jagannath using a crane outside the temple gates— a scene that researchers and devotees say is entirely made up and has no basis in the ancient traditions of the shrine. Bhaskar Mishra, a researcher of Jagannath culture, noted that such "unrealistic depictions" have deeply wounded the religious sentiments of those who follow the deity's customs.
Although this is not the first time people have managed to get cameras inside the temple complex, this is nevertheless the first time the temple has encountered the factors posed by artificial intelligence. The administration is worried about these extremely realistic but nevertheless bogus videos giving the wrong impression to society and defiling this 12th century religious site.
Following the incident, the highest authority within the temple, namely the Managing Committee, has already started discussions regarding an amendment to the current law that defines sharing such content, prepared by the use of the AI algorithm, to be considered an offence in itself. For now, they are concentrating on investigating the incident and arresting who is behind 'vishvrajcreation.'
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