Tag: Sjta

Today some visitors from West Bengal were allegedly allowed through the Western Gate through which only local residents are allowed.

In the last two months, the electricity bills of the 84-metre long and 12-metre wide AC tunnel barricade were pegged at a whopping Rs 14.17 lakh. To reduce such a huge cost of power consumption, some devotees and servitors have suggested the use of solar energy. 

The alleged entry of non-Hindus into Puri Srimandir has acted as a wake-up call for the temple administration as security has been beefed up at the Singhadwar. 

Srimandir in Puri will remain out of bounds for devotees for three hours for the ‘Banakalagi ritual’ on Wednesday. 

SJTA chief administrator, Ranjan Das informed that various rituals and related works will be carried on for three days (January 15, 16, and 17) before the inauguration ceremony on January 17.   

Along with new restrictions, a new darshan system will also be put in place. Devotees will not have to wait under the sun in queues for hours for darshan of the deities. They will have the facility of going under AC shed to Srimandir from Marichikote chhak.  

To end the sufferings of devotees who had to wait in long queues for hours in the sun to enter Srimandir, a fully air-conditioned shed is being constructed at the Grand Road, also known as Bada Danda.

A delegation of the SJTA including temple administrator, Ranjan Kumar Das and members of the Srimandir Management Committee, Ashok Mohapatra met the Shankaracharya in Ujjain on Saturday.

Devotees and servitors have demanded to ensure smooth and disciplined solemnisation of rituals of the deities on the day. 

Devotees visiting the shrine will be encouraged to carry puja materials like flowers and bhogs in paper, cotton bags, bhogei, small bamboo containers, and small wooden baskets inside the temple, said SJTA chief administrator Ranjan Das.

The SJTA administrator said Pahili Bhoga ritual will commence for the deities in the Srimandir from December 16 till January 14, 2024. The meeting discussed the ritual schedule and a decision was taken to open the doors from 2 am every day till January 14, 2024.

The decision regarding the complete ban on the consumption of paan and gutkha on the premises of Srimandir was taken at the Srimandir Niti sub-committee meeting held on Friday. 

A day after the Shankaracharya of the Puri Gobardhan Peeth, Swami Nischalananda Saraswati expressed his dissatisfaction for being sidelined by the temple admin and the government, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration chief, Ranjan Das on Thursday said nothing will be done without his consent. 

If everything goes the way as planned, devotees will no longer have to wait in the sun and rain outside the Lion’s Gate for entry into Puri Srimandir. 

The laser scanning on 12 points on the northern and upper part of the Ratna Bhandar was done on Wednesday. A report will be prepared which will be submitted to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and the Orissa High Court.