Puri: Puri town residents’ long wait of over three months to have a glimpse of Lord Jagannath will end Monday.
After remaining out of bound for devotees for over three months due to the second wave of Covid-19, Shri Jagannath Temple reopened August 12. And, the first visitors were the family members of the servitors. They visited the 12th-century shrine August 12 and 13.
August 14 and 15, the temple was closed due to weekend shutdown. From August 16, the residents of the holy town will be allowed to visit the temple for five days, ending August 20, but ward wise. Meanwhile, the Puri municipality has already distributed slips to the residents. After producing Aadhaar or Voter Identity cards, six members of a family can visit the temple on a single slip. They have been asked to follow all the Covid-19 guidelines as long as they are inside and outside the temple.
The temple will again remain closed August 21 and 22 due to weekend shutdown. Thereafter, from August 23, all devotees will be allowed inside the temple. But, to gain entry into the shrine, they will have to produce a complete vaccination certificate or RT-PCR negative test report obtained within 96 hours prior to the darshan. Besides, they will need to carry a photo ID card such as an Aadhar or PAN card.
For the safety of visitors, the shrine will be sanitised during weekend shutdowns.
PNN