After Raveena Tandon, Vijay Goel in Lingaraj row

BHUBANESWAR: From actress Raveena Tandon to Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel, the controversy over photography at Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar has travelled back in time. Goel landed in a spot when he greeted Odisha people on Utkala Dibasa by posting a series of three pictures of his last year’s visit to the shrine on Sunday on his Twitter handle. His post went viral and on Monday, the Union Minister had to withdraw the pictures.

“Yesterday on the occasion of #UtkalaDibasa, I had by mistake tweeted pictures of the Lingaraja Temple from my trip last year. I did not wish to hurt anyone’s sentiments and therefore, I am withdrawing the tweet/images,” he said taking to the micro-blogging site. The controversy had, however, its roots in Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon’s visit to the famous shrine last month. Raveena, who was in the City to attend a private event, had visited the temple on March 4.

During her visit, she was videographed (on a mobile phone) offering beauty tips on the premises of the 11th century shrine where photography is prohibited. A day later, the video clip of the actress went viral and the temple management submitted a written complaint seeking action against Raveena for hurting sentiments of the devotees. She, however, went on record stating that she had no knowledge of the norms on prohibiting photography on the temple premises and no one alerted her about it. Raveena said she did not even carry any camera or mobile phone to the temple. Goel apparently was unaware of the development and walked into the controversy by posting three pictures of him offering puja to Lord Lingaraj in the sanctum sanctorum and other parts of the temple.