Rajendra Prasad Mohapatra

Puri: In a bid to provide free darshan and services to the devotees at Puri Srimandir, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has cancelled the auction process (Mahala Nilam) of various heritage points associated with the 12th-century shrine for 2021-22 financial year.

The decision regarding the development was taken at the SJTA management committee meeting in the Pilgrim City on Thursday.

According to the announcement, devotees visiting the Shree Gundicha Temple will not have to pay any amount as an entry fee from now onwards. Earlier, each devotee was charged Rs 20 as a registration fee to get entry into the temple.

The temple administration has also decided to stop auctions for fee collection at religious places like ‘Narendra Puskarini’, ‘Rohini Kunda’ and ‘Koili Baikuntha’.

According to sources, the temple administration is likely to lose around Rs 7 crore due to the cancellation of the auction process. Last year the administration had earned revenue around Rs 3.5 crore from the auction.

Devotees of Lord Jagannath across the State have welcomed the move by SJTA.

“It’s a great move by the temple administration. The decision will definitely help in increasing footfalls at Srimandir,” said a devotee.

(Edited by Suryakant Jena)

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