Puri: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has issued a set of advisories for the devotees, Srimandir servitors and shrine officials to prevent the spread of coronavirus that claimed at least 5,000 lives across the globe.
The SJTA has imposed certain restrictions on the visit of devotees to the 12th century shrine till April 1. “The devotees are requested to postpone their Srimandir visit till April 1. Devotees who are supposed to offer some puja can visit the shrine with high degree of alertness regarding the deadly virus,” said SJTA chief administrator Krishan Kumar after participating in a meeting of Srimandir Chhatisha Niyog here, Sunday.
The temple administration has urged the devotees to submit detailed information on their health conditions in self-declaration forms to the temple officials before entering into Srimandir. “The devotees will have to inform that whether they are suffering from fever and cough. Besides, they will have to make it clear that whether any member of their families had visited abroad in last 15 days,” Kumar said.
The SJTA has asked devotees to maintain a distance of 2 metre among each other while visiting the shrine. “Devotees should leave the temple premises immediately after paying obeisance to the presiding deities. The Puri district Superintendent of Police (SP) has been authorized to take a call on the number of devotees who would be allowed to enter into the shrine on any particular day,” said the temple advisory.
The SJTA has put restrictions on any type of religious gathering or event on the temple premises till April 1. “Devotees must not hold any devotional programme at Srimandir. There would be two helpdesks near Srimandir to provide self-declaration forms to the devotees. The district collector and the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) have been assigned to open the helpdesks in two days. Besides, helpdesks on coronavirus would also be set up at city railway station and bus stand,” said an official of the temple administration.
The temple administration has advised devotees not to touch the Aruna Stamba, Garuda Stamba and the subsidiary deities at Srimandir as part of the preventive measures for coronavirus.
“Devotees must not spit inside the temple. Devotees, police personnel deployed at Srimandir, servitors and SJTA officials are advised to use masks and wash their hands with sanitizer before entering into the shrine. Devotees should wash their hands properly before partaking Mahaprasad at Anand Bazar,” said the advisory.
It is learnt that the SJTA would make arrangements for hand washing at the four gates of Srimandir.
Among others Puri Collector Balwant Singh, SP Umashankar Dash, CDMO Nilakantha Mishra, SJTA administrator (rituals) Jitendra Kumar Sahu and SJTA administrator (development) Ajay Kumar Jena were present at the meeting.
Special puja to tackle COVID-19
Chhatisha Niyog, the apex body of Srimandir servitors, has decided to perform a special puja before Lord Jagannath to save the whole world from coronavirus. The servitors’ body had performed special puja in 1910, 1960 and 1980 to save the world form certain diseases and calamities, Srimandir sources said.
The timetable for the special puja would be finalised in the presence of SJTA administrator (rituals) and some senior servitors, said a source.
Meanwhile, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) ordered closure of coaching institutions while directing private healthcare facilities to ensue regular screening of patients.
