Bringing immense joy and spiritual relief to countless believers, the sacred Sri Gundicha Temple—revered as the birthplace of Lord Jagannath—officially reopened its doors to the general public on Monday after a gap of six years.
The revered shrine had remained closed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The reopening commenced at 7:45 AM following traditional pujas and sacred rituals. The Srimandir Chief Administrator, accompanied by eager devotees, stepped through the gates on the historic first day, greeted by a massive gathering looking to catch a glimpse of Mahaprabhu’s Janmabedi.
To ensure a smooth, disciplined, and pleasant experience, the temple administration, district authorities, and police collaborated on comprehensive security and crowd management. Entry is completely free for the first three days, after which a nominal ticket fee of Rs 10 will be introduced.
Puri SP Prateek Singh highlighted the security preparations, stating, “Today, the holy Gundicha Temple has been opened to the general devotees, and all necessary security arrangements have been made from our side. Devotees will be able to enter the temple with tickets, and entry will be through the Singh Dwar. All security arrangements have been made at the Singha Dwar.”
Echoing the collective sentiment, Chief Administrator Arabinda Kumar Padhee shared, “The Sri Gundicha Temple is the birthplace of the deities of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, and it has been opened after a long period. It is now open for all devotees visiting Srikhetra, Puri. We have made elaborate arrangements to ensure a pleasant experience for all devotees.”
The restoration of public access has sparked widespread celebration among servitors and pilgrims alike, restoring a vital spiritual heartbeat to Srikhetra ahead of upcoming festive seasons.
