Puri: The Jagannath Temple in Puri will remain out of bounds for the public for over two hours February 4 in the wake of President Droupadi Murmu’s scheduled visit to the shrine, a senior officer said Tuesday.
Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) held a preparatory meeting, chaired by its Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee, for the President’s visit to Puri town and the temple.
Padhee said that Murmu will reach the pilgrim town on the evening of February 3. She will perform “Pind daan”, a sacred ritual honouring ancestors, at Sweta Ganga tank in Puri the next morning before visiting the 12th-century shrine at about 7.40 am.
“The President will be received by Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, who is also the chairman of Shree Jagannath temple Managing Committee (SJTMC) and others at the Lion’s Gate. She will go for darshan of the deities, and her temple visit is likely to conclude by 8:20 am,” Padhee said.
Deb is the titular king of Puri, while the SJTMC is the apex decision-making body of the temple.
To ensure security and smooth proceedings during the President’s visit, public darshan at the temple will be temporarily suspended from 6 am to about 8.30 am. The devotees can have darshan of the deities before 6 am as the temple gate will open at 4 am, the official said.
He said that passes will be issued to specific servitors who have rituals to perform inside the temple premises, and those will go near the President.
According to official sources, the President is scheduled to undertake a six-day visit to Odisha from February 2, during which she will attend certain programmes in Khurda, Jajpur, Balasore, Puri and Mayurbhanj districts.
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