Puri Jagannath temple to reopen from Aug 16 for locals, Aug 23 for all | Covid rules you need to follow

The Puri Jagannath Temple will reopen from August 15 for locals and from August 23 for those who will come from outside Puri. The temple administration has, however, imposed Covid restrictions so that devotees do not get infected.

The temple will be gradually opened to the public from August 16 while family members of servitors will be allowed access on August 12 and 13.

The administration has made vaccine certificates (fully vaccinated) or negative RT-PCR test reports mandatory for all devotees, apart from strict direction to follow Covid appropriate behaviour.

Fully vaccinated devotees will have to produce a vaccine certificate but those partially vaccinated or unvaccinated will have to furnish a negative RT-PCR test report taken in not less than 96 hours.

"All devotees visiting the temple will have to produce the final certificate for Covid-19 vaccination [of having taken two doses] or Covid-19 negative certificate [RTPCR] of testing done within 96 hours prior to their visit to the temple," an order issued by the Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA) read.

Devotees will be able to get a darshan between 7am and 7pm every weekday while adhering to Covid-19 guidelines laid out by the authorities.

Wearing a mask is mandatory at all times, while hands need to be sanitized before entry, the order said.

Carrying floral offerings and other puja material like diyas are strictly prohibited.

While devotees will be able to get the 'mahaprasad', consuming it within the temple premises is strictly prohibited.

The premises shall remain closed on Saturdays and Sundays for sanitisation and on all major festive occasions including Janmashtami (August 30) to contain the spread of coronavirus.

While residents of Puri will be allowed from the very first day, devotees from other parts of the state and country will have to wait till August 23 for darshan.

The decisions were taken at a meeting between SJTA (Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration) officials and Chhatisa Nijog, the Chief Administrator of the temple administration Krishan Kumar.

Read: What are we without them: Priests at Puri's Jagannath Temple miss devotees during Rath Yatra

Apart from the weekend shutdown which is still in effect in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri, the devotees will not be allowed to enter the temple during the Janmashtami festival on August 30. The sanitisation of temple premises will be done during the weekend shutdown.

Restrictions were imposed on the entry of devotees inside the Jagannath temple from April when the second wave of the coronavirus was at its peak. All the daily rituals are being performed by servitors and other temple staff.

Covid test of servitors, officials and other participants of the Ratha Yatra this year will be carried out from August 8. Besides, a door-to-door campaign will be launched for the vaccination of sevaks, their families and other officials, SJTA Chief Krishan Kumar said.

Read: Odisha artist creates mini chariots for Lord Jagannath using matchsticks ahead of Rath Yatra