Lord Jagannath temple in Odisha's Puri reopened for public on Wednesday after being closed for nine months due to coronavirus pandemic.

On the first day of reopening, the families of the servitors were only given access to enter the temple for the next three days and Puri residents' entry will be allowed from December 26.

The Puri district administration and the Shree Jagannath Temple Committee (SJTA) have made elaborate arrangements to ensure devotees adhere to all the Covid-19 safety norms strictly. The devotees were allowed to enter the temple after checking ID proof and hand sanitisation.

The devotees were allowed inside the 12th-century shrine from the Singhadwar gate. The door of the sanctum sanctorum opened at 4.59 am following which Mangal Alati, Mailam, Tadaplagi, Abakash Niti and Ghodalagi rituals were performed.

"We are very happy and excited to have darshan of 'Jaga' after such a long time, Never in my life I missed visiting the shrine for more than a month, it was due to Pandemic, I had to wait for 9 months to have a darshan of Kalia," Satya Pati, a devotee after visiting the 12th century shrine, said.

Ballav bhog will be offered to the deities from January 3 and darshan will be allowed at night too.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/story/jagannath-temple-in-puri-reopens-after-9-months-with-covid-19-protocols-1752390-2020-12-23

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