Puri/Bhubaneswar: Sticking to the rule enforced from last year, Sri Jagannath Temple Managing Committee in Puri on Thursday decided to restrict devotees from touching the deities on the Snan Mandap and atop the chariot as well during the annual Rath Yatra this year.
Sri Mandir Temple Administration (SJTA) chief Suresh Mohapatra informed about the decision after the meeting.
“Like last year, this year too, the devotees will not be allowed to touch the Trinity on the Snan Mandap. Also, they can’t touch the deities atop the chariot. However, on Snan Purnima, they can have darshan of the deities on the Mandap. We will be putting a one-way barricade for smooth darshan,” Mohapatra said.
To keep a vigil on the movement of the devotees, the Snan Mandap area will be under CCTV surveillance,
Mohapatra stated that schedule of rituals of the deities beginning from Snan Purnima to Niladri Bije was prepared at the meeting.
“Servitors have been asked to follow the timings of the rituals as mentioned in the schedule,” he said.
During the meeting, issues of sanitation and drinking water in the temple town during the ensuing car festival was raised by the servitors.