Bhubaneswar: Timings for public darshan at Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar are set to be modified from November 1 as renovation work is going to be taken up inside the shrine.
Sources said the temple administration is making preparations for undertaking repairs and cleaning of the sanctum sanctorum. The renovation work inside the Garbhagriha, scheduled to begin on November 1, will be carried out in phases to ensure that the daily rituals of the presiding deity are not disrupted.
Officials said a dedicated team of 20 workers has been deployed to complete the maintenance work. The schedule was finalised at a meeting of the Servitor Association (Sevayat Nijog), chaired by the Temple Office Executive and Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Ramesh Chandra Jena.
The temple administration had earlier approved urgent repairs to the sanctum sanctorum by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). A meeting was held on September 22 under the chairmanship of Executive Officer Hemanta Kumar Bharimalla, with secretaries of various servitor groups in attendance. The meeting focused on ensuring that the daily rituals of the deity would continue without disruption during the repair work.
It was initially decided that the repair work would begin on October 1 and be carried out in phases. However, the work could not start due to certain reasons.
According to the revised schedule, the Bhogamandap rituals will be completed by 2 pm, after which darshan will be temporarily suspended to facilitate the repairs under Sahanamela rituals. The ASI will undertake the work for two hours daily, with the cleaning and maintenance of the inner chamber expected to be completed within a month.
Sahanamela darshan is held till 9:30 am, after which Adakatha darshan is conducted. The Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) is cleaned during this period. However, due to delays in the cleaning process, the number of workers assigned to the task has been increased from four to six. The cleaning work is now expected to be completed by 10 am.
The administration has decided that Mahasnana, Suryapuja and Dwarapala Puja will be completed by 11 am, followed by Ballabha, Sakala Dhupa and Bhogamandap rituals by 2 pm.