Eagle carries away flag from atop Puri temple

Puri: An eagle was captured on video carrying away the ‘Patitapabana bana' (flag) from the Neela Chakra (blue wheel) of Puri Jagannath Temple two days ago, sparking discussions on its significance.
The incident, which occurred around 5 pm on Sunday, shows the eagle circling the temple while clutching the flag in its talons before flying towards the sea. Shortly after, Puri experienced a sudden thunderstorm with rain.
"The eagle circled the temple dome four to five times before heading towards the western gate and then out to the sea," said Sankar Mohapatra, a local resident.
Sarat Mohanty, a Chunara sevayat responsible for the temple's flag maintenance, dismissed negative interpretations. "The temple area is home to hundreds of birds. The eagle may have desired the Lord's flag. There's nothing alarming about the incident," Mohanty said.
The incident follows another occurrence earlier when the flag was observed forming a self-tied knot in mid-air, known in temple tradition as ‘sunya ganthi'.