Puri: The Jagannath Temple here will be open for darshan from 7 am to 9 pm everyday, except Sunday when the premises is sanitised as a measure to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Persons above 65 years, persons with comorbidities, pregnant women and children below 10 years have been advised not to visit the temple in view of the prevailing COVID-19 situation.
The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on Thursday issued new standard operating procedures (SOP) for visiting the temple. The SOP will come into force from October 15. The temple will remain closed for Dussehra on October 15 and from 12 noon on October 16 for the immersion (Bhasani) ceremony.
Darshan will be open on October 20 for Kumar Purnima. Parking of the vehicles will be allowed only at Jagannatha Ballav Math premises or any other designated place.
The detailed guidelines issued by SJTA are as follows:
- The Temple will also remain closed on major festive occasions in order to avoid any spike in transmission of COVID-19 on account of large gathering that is anticipated on such festive occasions.
- In Kartik month, temple will remain closed for darshan on November 4 (Diwali), November15 (Bada Ekadashi) and November 19 (Kartik Purnima).
General guidelines on account of COVID-19 for all devotees
- Mandatory for all devotees to wear masks at all times, inside and outside the temple.
- Sanitise hands before entering the temple.
- Maintain physical distance at all times as per COVID-19 guidelines and follow COVID-appropriate behaviour.
- Do no touch statues or idols inside the temple.
- Lighting of deepa inside the temple at designated places only
- Permitted to carry flowers/bhoga inside the temple but such items shall be placed at pre-designated places as earmarked by the administration.
- Partaking of Mahaprasad is allowed at the designated places decided by the temple administration.
- Rs 500 each fine for violation of ban on chewing tobacco / paan and spitting inside the temple premises
- Complete ban on carrying polythene bags inside the temple. Rs 100 fine to charged for each violation.
- Separate queue for differently-abled devotees for darshan of the deities
Guidelines for all devotees visiting the temple from October 15
- Queue system will open from 7 am and devotees will make entry through the barricades opposite to the shoe stand, situated on North-East side of the temple complex.
- All devotees have to produce final certificate for COVID-19 vaccination (of having taken two Doses) or COVID-19 negative certificate (RTPCR) of testing done within 96 hours prior to their visit to the temple.
- All devotees required to bring their photo ID card, namely, Aadhaar/Voter ID etc.
- Devotees will have to leave their belongings at the designated place outside the temple, produce their 1D proof for verification and follow the COVID-19 guidelines of hand sanitization as well as thermal scanning before entering the temple.
- All devotees will enter through Singhadwar and through Uttaradwar.
