Puri: The Srimandir in Odisha’s Puri will reopen for the public from February 1 with strict adherence to COVID safety protocols, said Puri Collector Samarth Verma on Friday after a meeting with Chattisa Nijog, the servitors’ body of Lord Jagannath temple.
The darshan of the Holy Trinity- Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra- will continue as per the COVID-10 guidelines. However, the 12th-century shrine will remain closed every Sunday as before for sanitisation of the temple premises, said the Puri Collector.
“While the citizens of Puri will enter the temple through the western entrance as before, other devotees will enter the temple through the eastern entrance,” Verma said adding that a detailed SOP will be issued soon this regard.
The Chattisa Nijog meeting held in virtual mode this evening was chaired by the Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Dr. Krishan Kumar, and attended by District Collector Samarth Burma, SP Dr. Kanwar Vishal Singh, SJTA officials, servitors from all Nijogs, and members of the temple managing committee.
During the meeting, the District Collector informed that around 200 to 300 sevayats (servitors) have received booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine and others will be administered the booster dose after completing the nine-month period gap for the second dose.
Following the surge in COVID-19 cases earlier this month, the Srimandir authorities had ordered closure of the temple for darshan by the public from 10th to 31st January.
Later, the demand for the reopening of Srimandir intensified and Jagannath Sena activists protested in front of the temple’s Simha Dwara (Lion’s Gate).
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