Berhampur: Unidentified miscreants allegedly looted ornaments worth lakhs of rupees from the Tara Tarini Temple in Odisha's Ganjam district, late last night.

Preliminary reports suggest that the thieves entered the temple premises by breaking the metal grills. They looted several items, including the silver crown of the deity, a ceremonial umbrella, and a donation box.

On being informed, Purushottampur police reached the spot early this morning to investigate the incident. Efforts were on by the cops to identify and apprehend the looters.

The temple's head priest said the miscreants entered the temple by breaking the locks of the main entrance and the sanctum. They decamped with various silver ornaments and valuable items, he said.

He further noted that the temple lacks CCTV surveillance, and expressed concerns over the Temple Trust's lack of focus on security, which, he said, may have led to this unfortunate incident.