News from Puri

Following an order from the Orissa High Court in 2018, a team of 17 members examined the condition of the Ratna Bhandar, but they could not enter inside as the key of the Ratna Bhandar was not available. 

As per tradition, they will also sail boats, either made of paper, plantain trunk or thermo cool, in water bodies and on the sea in Puri. They have started preparations for ‘Danga Bhasa’ (boat sailing) on Kartik Purnima on Monday.

The SJTA administrator said that the Archeological Survey of India has got a laser scanning machine and will carry out the scanning, particularly after the crowds thin out.

Two students of Narayan Vidyapitha demonstrated their project on how to prevent boat mishaps at the Science Exhibition organised at Kamaleswar Nodal School under Krushnaprasad block of Puri district. 

As per the tradition, five special attires of Lord Jagannath take place in Puri during this period.

Umashankar Das, a devotee from Gunupur, termed the appeal of the SJTA administrator to the elderly devotees as a derisive remark. 

All makeshift shops and street vending units along the stretch of the Bada Danda from the Srimandir to Marichikote Chhak will remain shut while vehicular movement on the Grand Road will be restricted from Market Chhak.

Harichandan’s reaction came after SJTA chief Ranjan Kumar Das made an appeal, saying that elderly and sick devotees should not come during rush days for darshan.

This is a once-in-a-year opportunity for the devotees to see and admire the ‘Odiani Besha’ of Goddess Radha and ‘Natabara Besha’ of Lord Krishna making them queue up at the temple from early in the morning.

Hours after OTV telecast the loopholes in the management of devotees and their plights during darshan at Puri Srimandir on Monday, the administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Ranjan Kumar Das came out with a strange appeal to the devotees.

On Monday, a 70-year-old Haramani Devi, who came from the Fakirpur area in Keonjhar district to have darshan of Lord Jagannath, suffered the worst experience of her life. 

Harichandan, who had earlier served as the Law Minister of Odisha, expressed his concern and pain through a column in an Odia daily.

The proposed greenfield airport will come up over 1164 acres of land. According to sources in the district administration, 221 acres have been acquired to date and public hearings for the land acquisition have been over.

These days, it is common to find devotees along with their children spending nights on the sides of the grand road or shop verandahs in Puri.

After an important meeting held on Thursday, the Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Ranjan Das, while briefing journalists, said the restoration work will start from tomorrow morning.