All Jagannath Temple gates opened after 4 years in line with BJP’s poll promise

The Jagannath Temple administration shut down all four gates of the 12th-century monument when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in 2020

Updated on: Jun 13, 2024, 10:39:17 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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All four gates of Puri’s Jagannath Temple were on Thursday opened for devotees for the first time since 2020 in line with the poll promise of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which swept to power in Odisha this month after 24-year Biju Janata Dal (BJD) rule. Chief minister Mohan Majhi and his council of ministers were present at the temple when the gates were opened a day after they were sworn in.

Only the Singhadwara (Lion Gate) was opened for devotees post Covid. (HT PHOTO)

The Jagannath Temple administration shut down all four gates of the 12th-century monument when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in 2020. Only the Singhadwara (Lion Gate) was later opened for devotees. Ashwa Dwara (Horse Gate), Vyaghra Dwara (Tiger Gate), Hasti Dwara (Elephant Gate) remained shut until Thursday leading to difficulties for the devotees. In its poll manifesto, the BJP promised to open the remaining gates as soon as it came to power.

A devotee said the gates should have been opened long ago. “I am happy that the new government has kept its promise.”

At his first Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Majhi cited the rush and inconvenience caused to the devotees and said all four gates would be opened on Thursday. “The decision has been taken to facilitate smooth pilgrimage,” he said. Majhi announced ₹500 crore for the temple saying there was no proper allocation of funds for its management, beautification, and repair.

The Jagannath Temple emerged as a key issue during the just-concluded election. The BJP raised the issue of the missing keys of the temple’s Ratna Bhandar (treasury). Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top BJP leaders promised to let the people know about the status of the valuables in the Ratna Bhandar, which have not been audited for four decades.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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