Opening Puri Jagannath Temple at midnight for New Year is ‘non-sanatani’: Panel member

Puri: Amid growing resentment among religious bodies and leaders committed to safeguarding Hindu culture and traditions, a member of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee has urged the authorities not to open Srimandir at midnight to mark the English New Year.

Managing Committee flags ‘Non-Sanatani’ practice, writes to SJTA and Odisha Government

In a letter addressed to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and the Odisha Government, managing committee member Mahesh Kumar Sahoo described the practice of keeping the temple open in the intervening night of December 31 and January 1 as “non-Sanatani” and religiously inappropriate.

‘Contrary to Sanatan Traditions,’ Says Committee Member

Sahoo stated that Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannath is the Aradhya Devata of Sanatani Hindus and that all rituals at the temple are strictly conducted in accordance with sacred Sanatan scriptures. However, he noted that in recent years, opening the temple at midnight on January 1 has become a regular practice, which, according to him, goes against established religious norms.

He further pointed out that this custom has consistently drawn objections from religious leaders and organisations, who have been expressing their resentment every year.

Appeal to Maintain Normal Ritual Schedule

Terming the issue as religiously sensitive, Sahoo appealed to SJTA Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee and Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan to ensure that the daily rituals of the deities at the Srimandir are performed in the traditional manner, without keeping the deities awake during night hours for the English New Year.

The appeal underscores the continuing debate between religious traditions and evolving practices at one of Hinduism’s most revered shrines.