Sri Jagannath Temple Administration scraps COVID unfavourable norm for Srimandir

By Express News Service
PURI: The Sri Jagannath temple can be accessible to all from January 21 with the district administration on Sunday deciding to withdraw the necessary manufacturing of COVID unfavourable certificates as a precondition for entry into the twelfth century shrine.

Addressing mediapersons, chief administrator of Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Krishan Kumar mentioned preparations have been being made to facilitate darshan for 30,000 devotees day-after-day. 

Devotees of Puri can be allowed for one hour from 6 am to 7 am each morning whereas darshan schedule for others can be in three periods – 7 am to 12 midday, 2.30 pm to 4 pm and 4.40 pm until closure of the temple gates for the day. Darshan wouldn’t be allowed on Sundays.

Puri Collector Samarth Verma, SP Okay Vishal Singh, chief district medical officer Dr Sujata Mishra, sub-collector Bhabataran Sahu and servitors of the temple managing committee participated within the assembly.

There was a number of hue and cry over manufacturing of COVID unfavourable certificates on the temple gates as day-after-day, numerous devotees needed to return dejected after failing to get the check report.

The administration had introduced to facilitate entry of 17,000 devotees into the temple every day.

However, common entry was under 3,000 because of the necessary provision of manufacturing Covid unfavourable certificates. Devotees had reacted strongly in opposition to the administration’s transfer stating that earlier than making Covid unfavourable certificates necessary, it ought to have opened ample testing amenities.

Besides, with the Lingaraj temple at Bhubaneswar getting rid of the check report manufacturing system, stress had mounted on the administration right here to observe swimsuit. 

Closed since March 20 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Srimandir opened its doorways for devotees from December 23.

On the primary three days, households of servitors have been allowed entry whereas Puri residents had darshan from December 26 to 31 with out the Covid unfavourable certificates. Outside devotees have been allowed entry into the temple from January 3.