Puri: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on Thursday held a crucial meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Administrator Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee to review and streamline arrangements for the upcoming Panchuka rituals in Puri. Several key decisions were taken to ensure smooth conduct of rituals and disciplined management of the large number of devotees expected during the sacred period.
Considering the heavy rush during Panchuka, the servitors proposed that their jajmans (clients) should not be allowed to enter the temple through the Western Gate. As this year’s Panchuka will span four days instead of five, it was decided that devotees will enter only through the Simhadwara (Lion’s Gate) for darshan and exit through the other three gates.
The meeting also decided that servitors will distribute Mahaprasad to devotees during Panchuka. Discussions were held with servitor representatives to maintain order and discipline during rituals. It was further resolved that darshan of the inner sanctum (Bhitara Katha) will be allowed only on Kartik Purnima, while for the first three days, devotees will have darshan from the outer sanctum (Bahara Katha).
To facilitate devotees, barricades have been erected along Badadanda (Grand Road), and both lost-and-found and emergency medical centers will be operational during the festive period. Members of the temple management committee and administrative officials will remain present to oversee crowd and ritual management.
In a related development, a sub-committee meeting on temple land issues was also held. The SJTA decided that Lord Jagannath’s land will be sold at the benchmark rate fixed by the government, subject to approval from the temple management committee and the state government.
Dr. Padhee further informed that the Gundicha Temple will soon be opened for devotees, and the SJTA will directly manage its operations.
The meeting was attended by the Puri District Collector, temple administrative officers, and representatives of servitors, who actively participated in the deliberations.
