BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Sunday said devotees will no longer be required to carry a Covid negative report for entering the
Puri Jagannath Temple. Besides, it will be kept shut every Sunday for disinfection of the temple’s premises.
Krishan Kumar, the 12th century shrine’s chief administrator, said, “We have decided to relax the restriction and will not ask the visitors to produce a Covid-19 negative report before being let in from January 21. The temple will remain closed once a week for the purpose of sanitization. The new guidelines will remain in force for a month till February 21. The standard operating procedure may change further upon the assessment of the Covid-19 situation.”
The temple, which was shut for devotees since March 20, reopened on December 23 last with only families of servitors being allowed a darshan of the deities till December 25. Devotees from the Puri municipality area were allowed entry from December 26 till 31. While the shrine was closed on January 1 and 2 this year, it was thrown open for all devotees from January 3 onwards. The temple administration plans to allow at least 30,000 devotees every day from January 21. The district collector, Samarth Verma, and superintendent of police, Kanwar Vishal Singh, have been asked to prepare a contingency plan to streamline the footfall of devotees, in case it exceeds the 30,000 daily cap.
It must be noted that altogether 24,687 devotees offered prayers at the temple from January 3 to 9 upon furnishing their Covid-19 negative report. About 64,157 devotees (all residents of the Puri municipality area) had a darshan of the deities between December 26 and 31 last year. It was mandatory for the residents of Puri to carry their Covid-19 negative report, apart from a proof of address, to step into the temple.
The shrine administration has decided to reschedule the darshan system from January 21. “We will start the darshan facility an hour earlier, from 7am, January 21 onwards. It currently begins at 8am. For residents of the Puri municipality area, the darshan hour will start from 6am and end at 7am,” Kumar said.