E-Paper
Will Odisha's Jagannath temple reopen for devotees? Decision expected today
The devotees were prevented from attending the famous Rath Yatra of Jagannath temple in July due to Covid-19 restrictions in place. A virtual meeting will be held today by temple administrator to take stock of the coronavirus disease situation.
The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) will on Wednesday decided on the reopening of the 12th century shrine in Puri. The SJTA wil hold a meeting today where a decision is expected to be taken on the issue.
The Odisha government had allowed the reopening of religious institutions with appropriate Covid-19 restrictions from August 1.
The virtual meeting, which will be held later today, has been called by SJTA chief administrator Krishan Kumar. It will be attended by Puri's magistrate-cum-collector, superintendent of police, chief district medical officer and members of the temple coordination committee.
The officials will take stock of the Covid situation in the state and decide when to open the Jagannath temple for devotees.
The state government, in its guideline for August, has categorically stated that SJTA, Puri and the Shree Lingaraj Temple Administration, Bhubaneswar may decide on reopening of temples under their management for public darshan in consultation with stakeholders concerned and in compliance with Covid-19 safety protocols.
The guidelines also say that no prasad will be offered by the devotees.
The SJTA had banned the entry of pilgrims to the temple in April, when the secind wave of the coronavirus disease was at its peak. All the daily rituals are being performed by servitors and other temple staff.
The devotees were prevented from attending the Rath Yatra in July due to Covid-19 restrictions in place. A large number of priests pulled the three colourful chariots in Puri without presence of any public following the orders of Supreme Court.
Rath Yatra is one of the main festivals of Odisha that commemorates the annual journey of Lord Jagannath and his siblings from the 12th century Jagannath temple to their aunt's abode in Gundicha temple, 2.5 km away. The Gundicha temple is the place where Lord Jagannath is said to have taken the form in which he is currently worshipped.
