PURI: Work on erecting a canopy along Badadanda near Simhadwar of Jagannath temple to provide shelter to pilgrims from sun and rain has been started. The canopy of 50 x 100 metre dimension will have steel barricades to enable pilgrims form a queue to reach the Simhadwar - the main entrance of the temple.
The Supreme Court, in its judgment on improving services at the 12th century shrine, had asked the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) to introduce queue system for hassle-free darshan of the deities.
The steel columns erected along Badadanda to hold the canopy would be dismantled before Rath Yatra and again reinstalled once the festival is over, said a temple official. He said that work on the steel canopy would be completed within a couple of days.
Meanwhile, the demolition drive to remove all structures within 75 metres of the proposed heritage and security corridor around Meghnad Prachir of the temple was stopped on Sunday. It would resume on Monday. Sources said that the remaining portion of San Chhata Mutt would be razed in the next two days. The Pratihari Nijog house and Radhaballav Mutt are next in line of demolition.