Jagannath temple in Odisha to reopen before New Year

Bhubaneswar, Dec 12 : The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has decided to request the Odisha government for the reopening of Jagannath Temple in Puri for devotees, said an official on Saturday.
After a meeting of Chattisa Nijog (apex body of temple servitors), SJTA chief administrator Krishan Kumar said they are planning to reopen the temple for devotees soon with strict adherence to Covid-19 guidelines.
“Though we have not exactly decided the dates, we hope that the temple will reopen between December 22 and 24,” Kumar told mediapersons in Puri.
“The recommendation to reopen the temple will be sent to the state government within two days. We will urge the government to reopen the temple for residents of Puri initially,” said the SJTA chief.
The temple will be reopened only after getting permission from the government, he added.
Jagannath Temple has been out of bounds for devotees in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.