Puri Srigundicha temple to reopen for devotees soon

Puri: After a gap of two and a half years, the doors of Srigundicha temple here will be thrown open to the devotees within a week.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee here yesterday.

As per the decision, devotees would be allowed to visit Srigundicha temple without any entry fee. However, the devotees would be barred from touching the Adapa Mandap of the shrine. Moreover, they would not be allowed to enter into the temple kitchen, sources said.

The district administration will make the necessary arrangements for smooth visit of devotees. The administration will put up barricades around the Adapa Mandap and at the entrance of the temple kitchen to prevent any unauthorised entry, sources said.

The temple managing committee has asked the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Superintending Engineer to prepare a five-year budget and an action plan within a month for undertaking repair work at Srimandir. Moreover, the ASI has been asked to submit a detailed report regarding the repair work undertaken at the 12th century shrine during last one year.

Last year, the ASI had conducted laser scanning of several structures of the shrine excluding its sanctum sanctorum. However, the agency is yet to submit a report regarding its findings to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA).

“The temple managing committee has refused to allow the ASI to conduct laser scanning of the sanctum sanctorum or any other structure of the shrine until the submission of a detailed report on last year’s survey,” said a source in the SJTA.

The temple managing committee has also decided to regulate the entry and presence of servitors at the sanctum sanctorum of Srimandir.

“Some devotees have complained that they could not have proper view of the idols due to the presence of large number of servitors at the sanctum sanctorum. Taking the issue seriously, the managing committee has decided to regulate the entry and presence of servitors at the sanctum sanctorum. Henceforth, servitors who have been authorized to perform the rituals can only enter into the sanctum sanctorum,” said SJTA chief administrator Vir Vikram Yadav.

 

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