Puri’s Jagannath Temple to reopen for devotees from today

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New Delhi: The Jagannath Temple in Puri will be opening gradually for the general public from Monday (August 16) in the second phase of the Odisha unlock. 

The Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA) said adherence to the COVID-19 guidelines, social distancing rules will be followed. However, all devotees will only be allowed entry for the darshan from August 23. 

The temple had reopened on August 12 in the first phase after remaining shut for over three months amid the COVID-19 restrictions in the state. 

Only family members of the servitors were allowed to enter the temple in the first phase according to news agency PTI.

The SJTA said that people residing in the Puri Municipality area will be allowed entry for darshan from August 16 to August 20 and the darshan timings will be from 7am to 7pm on all days when the temple is open.

The general public will be allowed entry from August 23 onwards, an official said..

“A meeting was held on August 4 with Chhatisa Nijog members and all other stakeholders under the chairmanship of Dr. Krishan Kumar, the Chief Administrator of SJTA to discuss the matter. After detailed discussions and considering all the connected matters, it was decided to open the Temple on August 16, 2021 under strict guidelines,” an official notification released by the SJTA on August 11 stated..

The temple was closed to the public on April 24 this year amid the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic and remained closed during the Rath Yatra.

Here are the guidelines imposed:

The temple would remain closed on all weekends and major festivals, further added STJA.

The temple will remain closed for public darshan on all Saturdays and Sundays as a measure to contain the spread of coronavirus and in order to sanitize the temple premises.

The temple will also remain closed on major festive occasions in order to avoid any surge in the transmission of Covid-19 on account of huge gatherings that are expected on such festive occasions.

Devotees from outside Puri will have to produce the final COVID-vaccination certificate or COVID-negative RT-PCR report of testing done within 96 hours. They will also have to carry a government-issued identity card such as Aadhaar.