Puri: The famed Jagannath temple in Puri will remain closed from January 10 in view of the increasing Covid-19 cases, a senior official said Friday. The Jagannath temple will remain closed till January 31, as per the decision taken at the meeting of Chhatisa Nijog – the apex body of the temple’s servitors, the official added.
The meeting was also attended by staff members of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and district officials.
“In view of the health interest of devotees and servitors, it has been decided to close the shrine from January 10 to January 31. The decision was unanimously taken at a meeting of Chhatisa Nijog,” Puri’s District Magistrate Samarth Verma told reporters.
The daily rituals at the 12th-century shrine will be carried out as per the tradition by select servitors and priests, Verma informed.
The decision was taken a day after several temple administration staff members and servitors tested positive for Covid-19. So to curb the spread of the virus, a decision was taken to close down the temple for the period mentioned above, some servitors informed.