To handle the expected crowd on New Year’s Day, Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri plans to open its doors at 1 am. Temple rituals will conclude early on Sunday, allowing closure at 11 pm, with doors reopening two hours later, as stated by Puri district collector Samarth Verma.
Every January 1, hundreds of thousands of devotees visit the temple to seek blessings from the sibling deities – Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra.
“We expect that about 3-4 lakh devotees will visit the temple on New Year’s Day. The added enthusiasm is also because the people want to experience the revamped surrounding of the temple due to the heritage corridor project, which is almost complete, and will be inaugurated on January 17,” said Ranjan Das, the chief administrator of Jagannath Temple.
Amenities such as drinking water and lavatories are now accessible within the structure. Additionally, seating arrangements have been made for the convenience of visitors.
“We have already fined some people for chewing pan and tobacco inside the temple. We appeal to all to follow the instructions of the SJTA for making the temple premises clean and healthy,” said Ranjan Das.
Officials have announced traffic restrictions in the town ahead of New Year’s Day. The stretch from Market Chakka to Singhadwara on Badadanda has been designated as a ‘No Vehicle Zone.’ Vehicles are also prohibited on the beachside road from Digabareni to Lighthouse. Only emergency vehicles are allowed on these restricted roads, DIG Ashish Kumar Singh said.
For local and inter-state tourist buses, parking is designated at the Malatipatpur bus stand, while regular passenger buses face no restrictions. Special arrangements have been made for parking of cars at Saradha Bali, Jail Road, Yatrika, and Jagannath Ballav parking lots.
The Jagannath Temple is made so that it casts no shadow here on earth at any time of day.
The temple’s 20-foot-high chakra is positioned such that the entire chakra can be seen from everywhere in the city. If you glance at the chakra from anywhere in the city, it appears to be facing you.
The temple’s flag must be replaced every day, including an 1800-year-old rite. To replace the flag, a priest climbs to the top of the temple, as tall as a 45-story skyscraper, every day.
The temple attracts many devotees, ranging from 2,000 to 20,000 people. Every day, the same amount of prasadam is prepared. There has never been a day when prasadam was squandered or inadequate.