COVID negative report not mandatory for entering Jagannath temple from Thursday

After a gap of around 10 months, thedevotees can go inside Lord Jagannath temple here fromThursday without a mandatory requirment of showinbg COVID-19negative report.

The decision to lift the provision of producing COVID-19negative report for entry in the 12th century shrine fromThursday was informed by Chief Administrator of ShreeJagannath Temple Administration (SJTA),Krishan Kumar Wednesdayafter a meeting with the Puri district administration and thelocal police.

''The devotees can enter the temple from 7 am of January21. The mandatory production of COVID-19 report is herebylifted,'' Kumar told reporters.

The review meeting was also attended by Puri CollectorSamarth Verma, DIG Ashish Singh and SP Kanwar Vishal Singh.

Verma said arrangements have been made for smooth darshan ofat least 30,000 devotees every day from Thursday.

''Devotees will not be required to show their recent COVID-19 test report to enter the temple,'' the Puri collector said.

Kumar also informed that a separate queue will be made forsenior citizens and persons with disabilities.

As the administration is expecting a surge in the numberof visitors, police has decided to deploy 26 platoons (oneplatoon comprising 30 personnel) of police force, two ASPs,seven DSPs and 20 Inspectors inside the temple and in theperiphery.

Although there will be no requirement for COVID negativereport for the devotees, the coronavirus restrictions will bestrictly followed, Verma said.

The devotees need to wear face masks and maintain socialdistancing inside and outside the temple.

''Before entering the temple, devotees will have toproperly sanitise their hands and undergo thermal scanning.

Any devotee having body temperature of 100 Fahrenheit or morewill not be allowed,'' the collector said.

Keeping in view the rise in the day temperature,arrangements have been made for availability of safe drinkingwater near the temple.

''We have put up 130 drinking water points along the BadaDanda (Grand Road),'' he said.

At a meeting of the SJTA on January 10 it was decidedthat no mandatory need of the COVID negative report for entryinside the temple will be initially for one month from January21 to February 21.

Further decision will be taken after reviewing thesituatiuon.

The temple was opened in a phased manner from December23, 2020.

While the servitors and their family members were allowedto enter the temple from December 23 to December 25 evening,the local residents of Puri got opportunity to have darshan ofthe deities between December 26 and 31.

The temple was finally opened to the public for darshan ofthe sibling deities - Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and LordJagannath - from January 3, 2021 adhering to the COVID-19guidelines.

The Puri temple is one of the four ''Dhams'' or most sacredplaces of pilgrimages for the Hindus in the country.

The four Dhams are Jagannath Puri in the East, Dwarika inthe West, Badrinath in the North and Rameswaram in the South.

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