Betel leaves, gutkha, tobacco to be banned inside Jagannath temple

Citizens beware. From coming Thursday you will be barred from entering Shree Jagannath temple in Puri and also have to shell out Rs 500 as penalty if found with betel leaves, gutkha or tobacco inside the 12th century shrine. The decision to this effect was taken during a Shree

Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) meeting on Monday to ensure cleanliness in the temple, a senior temple official said on Tuesday.

The new rule will come into force from August 1. "Any devotee or temple staffer found chewing tobacco,

betel leaves or gutkha will be barred from entering the premises and a fine of Rs 500 will be imposed on them," P K

Mohapatra, Chief Administrator of the SJTA, said. The SJTA will set up boards around the temple to

create awareness among the public about the new sanitation rules, he said.

Another official said guards posted at the temple gates will frisk the devotees and temple staffers to prevent

them from carrying the banned items inside the premises. The world famous temple at Puri in Odisha is dedicated

to Lord Jagannath, a form of lord Maha Vishnu. It was built by the Ganga dynasty king Anantavarman

Chodaganga in the 12th century. Lapses and irregularities observed during the Rath

Yatra festival along with repair work of the temple were also discussed in the meeting, the official said.

Measures required for smooth and hassle-free conduct of the day-to-day rituals inside the temple were also discussed at the meeting, he said.