PURI: Come New Year, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) will introduce a hassle-free system for public darshan of the Trinity in Srimandir.
Chief administrator Arabinda Padhee on Thursday said separate queues for women, children and male devotees will be created. They will have darshan of the Trinity from the Natamandap of the temple. Efforts are underway to make special provisions for Divyang devotees to have darshan of the deities.
The new arrangements are in line with the decision taken at the recent meeting of Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan with OBCC officials and temple servitors over raising collapsible barricades and ramps in Natamandap for public darshan, he said.
This apart, 20 retired military personnel will be deployed in Ananda Bazaar along with regular temple security staff to regulate movement of devotees and enforce the rules of SJTA. A committee comprising office-bearers of Suara and Mahasuara nijogs and other servitors’ bodies headed by the Puri collector will run the Mahaprasad market in Ananda Bazaar.
Padhee further said unauthorised collection of ‘dakshina’ (donation) by placing pots and trays in Srimandir has been stopped. The administration in consultation with Chhatisha nijog is planing to place hundis (donation boxes) at several places in the shrine. Stringent action is being taken against unruly servitors while police are acting swiftly on complaints of the devotees, he said.
The ongoing repair work of the Ratna Bhandar has been hampered due to delay in performing rituals in the wake of ‘Mahasnana’ on Wednesday. The work was delayed by nearly three hours on Thursday. Since ‘Pahili bhog’ ritual is going on, regular rituals are getting delayed, said Padhee.
“The repair work is underway as per the standard operation procedure (SOP) and in presence of authorised persons. We expect the ASI will complete the work within the stipulated time of three months,” he added.