Puri: Hours after reopening of Puri Srimandir, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Wednesday issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for darshan of deities at the famed shrine.
According to the SOP, from December 23, 2020 to December 25, 2020, only the family members of servitors will be allowed for darshan.
Similarly, residents of Puri will be allowed for darshan from December 26 to 5 pm to December 31.
To avoid any possibility in spike in transmission of COVID-19, the temple will remain out of bound for devotees on New Year Day and the day after that. However, all the devotees will be allowed for the darshan of the trinity beginning January 3, 2021.
Notably, after being closed for nine months amid COVID-19 pandemic, the temple reopened Wednesday morning.
The general guidelines which have been issued by the SJTA are:
- It is mandatory for all devotees to wear masks at all times, inside and outside the temple.
- Devotees should sanitise their hands before entering the temple.
- Devotees should maintain physical distance at all times as per COVID guidelines.
- Devotees have been requested to not touch statues or idols inside the temple.
- It is prohibited to take flowers/ bhoga/ earthen lamps inside the temple. There will be a big containers placed at the entrance, where such items can be dropped if being carried by the devotees.
- There will be no lighting of earthen lamps inside the temple by the devotees.
- There will be no partaking of mahaprasad inside Ananda Bazar and the temple premises.
- Chewing of tobacco/paan and spitting inside temple premises is strictly prohibited.
- Parking of vehicles will be done only at Jagannath Ballav Math premises or any other designated place. PNN