Puri: With silver cladding of the Lions’ Gate of Jagannath Temple in Puri already over, the SJTA will take up the work of three other main doors soon.
The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) will start the work at the Elephants’ Gate (West), Tigers’ Gate (North) and Horses’ Gate (South) of the 12th century shrine by replacing the existing doors. It would procure fresh Burmese teak to construct the new doors, SJTA sources said.
The Reliance Group of companies will donate silver and Burmese teak wood to the temple. Around 1,500 kg of silver would be required for covering the three gates, they added. The SJTA targets to complete the silver cladding work before this year’s Rath Yatra.
The SJTA had completed the silver cladding of Lions’ Gate during the Rath Yara last year when the sibling deities of the temple had gone on annual sojourn to the Gundicha temple. The 15-ft high Singhadwar was covered with around 525 kg of silver which was donated by a devotee.
The SJTA has also completed sliver cladding of the doors at Beharana, Jay-Vijay, Bhogamandap and Satapahacha gates inside the shrine in 2022.