The SJTA has decided to
put up the price list of Mahaprasad
in the New Year
Puri: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) would introduce ticket darshan system as well as put up the price list of Mahaprasad at the shrine in January 2019, SJTA chief administrator Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra said Wednesday.
Sources said the ticket darshan system would allow devotees to catch a close glimpse of the deities from the inner barricade without having to push through the maddening rush.
“Pratihari Nijog, which was bestowed with the responsibility to prepare a blueprint for the ticket darshan system, will submit the same to SJTA next week though the price is yet to be finalised. After getting the blueprint, we’ll fix the ticket price at the managing committee meeting,” Mohapatra told the media in a press meet organised at the temple office Wednesday.
Despite ensuring seamless free darshan system, the SJTA will also decide on the details of entry and exit of the devotees under the paid system beginning in January, he added.
The SJTA chief administrator also said the price list would feature Mahaprasad containers with different sizes and their rates. This would help avoid confusion among the devotees while paying for the most sought after item. “Mahaprasad rate chart has almost been fixed. We’ll have a detailed discussion with Suar-Mahasuar Nijog before putting up the price list at Anand Bazaar and other strategic locations on Srimandir precincts in January,” Mohapatra added.
He, however, did not specify any particular date for the launching of the twin initiatives.
Notably, the temple administration had prepared the Mahaprasad on a pilot basis December 4 to ascertain the input cost of the most the temple delicacy before fixing its price. Similarly, the SJTA had decided to introduce the ticket darshan system at a managing committee meeting November 26. Accordingly, Pratihari Nijog was asked to prepare the blueprint for the same December 4.
