Puri: The Konark Sun Temple or the Black Pagoda opened for tourists amid strict COVID-19 protocols after a gap of nearly three and a half months.
While 2000 tourists will be allowed to enter the temple twice a day, wearing masks, hand sanitization and thermal scanning are mandatory as per the Covid guidelines of the Central Government.
Tourists can buy tickets online or scan the barcode in front of the temple on their mobile phones for entering the temple.
However, while tourists are allowed to go to the temple, local guides, photographers, handicraftsmen are disappointed that they are not allowed to do business.
The decision to reopen the Sun Temple has been welcomed by the people of the Konark region. With this, the tourism industry is expected to flourish and livelihoods return to normal.