Puri: Jagannath Temple in Puri will remain closed on December 31 and January 1, 2022, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) informed on Wednesday.
The temple body has also issued revised guidelines for the opening of the 12th-century temple from 5:30 am till 9:30 pm, with effect from Thursday (December 16).
The Chhatisa Nijog meeting on December 10 finalised these SOPs and also stated that the Niti Nirghanta for the Pahili Bhog of Lord Jagannath will be performed from December 16 to January 13, 2022, while Niti Nirghanta for Makara Sankranti and Debabhisheka Purnima are slated for January 14 and January 17, 2022, respectively.
The new SOPs are as follows:
1. The devotees can have darshan of the sibling deities from 5:30 am to 9:30 pm on all days, except Sunday when the temple will remain closed.
2. The temple will remain closed on December 31, 2021, and January 1, 2022 (English New Year Day) to avoid any spike in COVID cases on account of large gatherings.
3. Jaya Bijaya Dwar and Beherana Dwar will remain closed for performance of special rituals like Banaka Lagi and Paita Lagi. There will be no restrictions on the entry of devotees to the temple complex for the darshan of Parshva Devtas and to visit Anand Bazaar.
“The above guidelines will be reviewed periodically and revised instructions will be issued from time to time to further facilitate darshan by devotees and also for the management of COVID-19 pandemic,” the notification said.
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