Bhubaneswar: Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri town will remain out of bounds for devotees for three hours on the eve of New Year.
The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has decided that the 12th-century shrine will be shut at 11 pm on December 31, 2025, and reopen at 2 am on January 1, 2026, giving Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra a three-hour rest period.
SJTA Chief Administrator Arabinda Kumar Padhee emphasised on prioritising preserving ritual sanctity. “Our focus is on the seamless performance of daily nitis (rituals). The temple will adhere strictly to its traditional schedule, ensuring the deities are not kept awake throughout the night,” he said.
Ratri Pahuda will be conducted at 11 pm on December 31 and Dwarafita ritual at 2 am. These rituals were observed at 0.25 pm and 1 am respectively last year.
Padhee sought cooperation from all servitors to maintain order. While noting the deep emotional connection devotees have with Lord Jagannath, he reminded that the Gregorian New Year holds no place in the temple’s traditional ritual calendar. “As the Pahili Bhog ritual is continuing, it is our responsibility to ensure smooth and orderly darshan for all devotees at the Srimandir. The period from December 31 to January 4, 2026, is extremely crucial for us, and special arrangements will be made to ensure safe and seamless darshan on these five days,” he said.
He further stated that special crowd management measures, including viewing from outside barricades on December 31 and January 1, and controlled entry/exit routes, will be in effect from December 31, 2025, to January 4, 2026, to ensure safe access amid anticipated crowds exceeding 2 lakh on New Year’s Day.
The devotees will be allowed to enter the shrine only through the Singhadwar, while exit will be facilitated through the remaining three gates to ensure smooth crowd management.
The announcement followed criticism of the recent practice of keeping the temple open all night for New Year darshan to manage large crowds. This all-night opening drew objections for compromising the temple’s age-old customs, particularly since January 1 is not aligned with the Hindu panchang (almanac).
In a letter, Mahesh Kumar Sahu, a member of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, the shrine’s highest decision-making body, had urged authorities, including Gajapati Maharaja, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, and Padhee, to end the midnight openings, arguing that New Year celebrations stem from Gregorian (Western) traditions and should not disrupt the deities’ prescribed rest after the ‘Pahuda’ ritual.
Supporters of Sahu’s view, including some servitors and cultural activists, echoed concerns that altering rituals for non-traditional events undermines the temple’s Sanatan Hindu heritage.
𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 31 & 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
