Puri: Against the backdrop of mounting opposition from religious bodies and proponents of Sanatani traditions, a member of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee has called upon the authorities to refrain from keeping the Shree Jagannath Temple open at midnight to mark the English New Year.
In a formal letter to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and the Odisha government, managing committee member Mahesh Kumar Sahoo expressed strong reservations over the practice of opening the temple during the intervening night of December 31 and January 1. He termed the custom as “non-Sanatani” and incompatible with the long-established religious ethos of the shrine.
Sahoo underlined that Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannath, revered as the Aradhya Devata of Sanatani Hindus, is worshipped strictly in accordance with prescribed rituals laid down in Sanatan scriptures. He pointed out that the midnight opening of the temple on January 1, a date rooted in the Gregorian calendar, does not align with these religious principles.
According to the committee member, the practice—introduced in recent years—has repeatedly sparked resentment among religious leaders and organisations dedicated to protecting Hindu customs and traditions. He noted that objections have been raised consistently every year, reflecting widespread concern within the religious community.
Describing the matter as highly sensitive, Sahoo urged SJTA Chief Administrator Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee and Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan to ensure that the daily nitis (rituals) of the deities are performed strictly as per tradition. He specifically appealed that the deities should not be kept awake during night hours to accommodate celebrations associated with the English New Year.
The appeal has once again brought into focus the ongoing tension between adherence to age-old religious practices and the adoption of evolving customs at the centuries-old Shree Jagannath Temple, one of Hinduism’s most sacred pilgrimage sites.
