Dhadi System For Darshan At Puri Jagannath Temple Put Off Till Late Jan

Puri: The scheduled Dhadi (queue) darshan at Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri town for better crowd management has been postponed till January 20.

The temple administration had earlier decided to implement it from January 1 after a trial run on December 27-28.

“We decided not to experiment with any kind of darshan arrangement since the shrine witnesses heavy footfall on the New Year’s eve and New Year. Also, Ganga Snana is scheduled around January 18-19 and the temple will remain crowded till then,” Law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan told reporters on Thursday.

Under the dhadi system, devotees will enter the shrine through Lions’ gate and then take the Sata Pahacha door, have darshan of the deities from a two feet wide elevated ramp inside Natyamandap and then exit from Ghantidwara. Another ramp will be positioned at a height of four inch on the back of the first one to ensure that the second line devotees have proper darshan of the sibling deities. Devotees will be allowed in six queues – three for men and as many for women, children and elderly.

While the structures have been readied, it will be implemented between January 20 and 22, the minister said, adding that  the system will be in place round the year to streamline entry into the Natyamandap.

The decision to introduce dhadi system at Natamandap, which earlier witnessed stampede-like situations in the absence of queues, was taken after consultation with the Pratihari nijog and other servitor bodies concerned.