KENDRAPARA: The 250-year-old Baladevjew temple here is all set to open for devotees from January 3. As per the standard operating procedure (SOP), no more than 100 people will be allowed into the temple at a time. Devotees will be required to use masks and maintain social distancing, said Kendrapara Collector Samarth Verma.
The closure of the temple for more than nine months due to the pandemic, had affected the livelihood of priests and sellers of puja material and flowers. “We are delighted that the district administration has decided to reopen the temple,” said Brahmananda Patri, a priest of the shrine. The Baladevajew temple was built by the king of Kujang, Raja Gopal Sandha during the Maratha rule in Odisha in 1761 at Icchapur locality in Kendrapara town.