JagannathTemple No need for Covid negative report to enter Shri Jagannath temple in Puri
Puri/UNI: Sri Jagannath temple and district administration on Sunday resolved to lift the mandatory production of Covid negative report as a precondition for the entry of devotees into the temple.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration and the district authorities held here today.
The new rule would be made effective from January 21 to February 21 next.
Speaking to media persons Shri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Krishna Kumar said arrangements were being made to facilitate over thirty thousand devotees for darshan of deities per day.
The devotees of Puri will be allowed entry for one hour, from 6AM to 7 AM every day, while others will be allowed to have darshan of the deities in three sessions.
The first session will begin from 7AM to 12 PM, the second session from 12. 30 to 4 PM and third session from 4.40 PM till the closure of the temple gates for the day.
Darshan will be closed on every Sunday, Dr Kumar said.
District collector Samarth Burma, S P K.Vishal Singh, Chief District Medical Officer Dr Sujata Mishra, Sub Collector Bhabataran Sahu, servitor members of the temple managing body participated in the meeting.
There was a lot of hue and cry over the production of Covid negative report at the temple gate and every day a large number of devotees had to return frustrated faking to produce Covid-19 negative report.
The administration had closed the temple for devotees since March 20 to contain the spread of coronavirus and was reopened on December 23 last.
After reopening the temple, for three days only servitor families were allowed entry and residents of Puri were allowed to see the deities from December 26 to 31 without Covid negative with five thousand devotees per day.
Devotees from across the country were allowed into the temple from January 3 last with mandatory Covid negative report.
Though administration had announced to facilitate the entry of 17000 devotees into the temple daily because of mandatory showing of Covid negative certificate, the daily entry of devotees was below three thousand.
Devotees reacted strongly against the administration saying that before making Covid negative certificate mandatory the administration should have opened adequate number of swab testing labs for Covid-19.
Administration was put in a tight spot as this condition was waived off from Lingaraj temple recently.
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