Puri: Jagannath temple in Puri will remain shut for three days. While Friday is Ganesh Chaturthi, the 12th-century shrine will remain out of bounds for devotees for the next two days due to the weekend restrictions.
Darshan of the Lords will resume on Monday with timings for visiting the temple extended by two more hours till 9 pm, the new guidelines issued by the SJTA on September 9 said.
People have been barred entry into the temple to avoid large congregations on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Puja, the onset of the festive season in Odisha and India.
The public, however. will be allowed for darshan on Saturdays from next week. The temple will remain shut only on Sundays for disinfection of the premises.
Devotees still have to carry either RT-PCR negative report obtained 96 hours before the temple visits or COVID vaccine final dose certificate.
The temple will also remain closed on Biswakarma Puja, Kumar Purnima and Dussehra in September-October.
Shut since April 24, the gates of the temple were opened in a staggered manner on August 12, first for the servitors and then the locals, The temple reopened for all on August 23.
