Konark: Tourists visiting the Sun Temple at Konark are facing diffi culties due to the closure of an exit gate near the Navagraha temple, with visitors now forced to use the main gate for both entry and exit.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has reportedly closed the exit gate near the Navagraha temple without any prior notice. The gate had been used by tourists to exit the Sun Temple premises since 2022, allowing them to visit the Navagraha temple and pass through the handicrafts market before leaving the complex.
The gate has remained closed for the past four days, resulting in increased congestion at the main entrance. On Sunday morning, some tourists reportedly got suffocated while leaving the temple after completing their visit. The incident has triggered criticism of the ASI’s management of visitor movement at the heritage site. The closure has also affected visitors and devotees who traditionally visit the Navagraha temple for worship.
According to local sources, a dispute has been ongoing between the servitors of the historic Navagraha temple and ASI authorities over the access of tourists and members of the public to the shrine. With the exit gate closed, the number of visitors reaching the Navagraha temple has reportedly declined, affecting the livelihood of servitors who have traditionally depended on religious services there.
The closure has also resulted in tourists entering and leaving the Sun Temple through the same main gate, leading to crowding inside and around the entrance. Social workers, senior citizens, intellectuals, tourism enthusiasts and local residents have strongly opposed the decision. They have demanded that the exit gate near the Navagraha temple be reopened and that the existing exit arrangement through the main gate be discontinued.
They said reopening the alternate exit route would ease congestion and reduce the difficulties faced by tourists. The priests of the Navagraha temple, Konark Durga Puja Committee president Shatrujit Nayak, intellectuals and local residents have urged the chief minister, chief secretary, Tourism Minister, departmental secretary, ASI director general and Puri collector to intervene and restore the earlier exit route.
