Puri: The Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA) will prepare a new set of gold ornaments for Lord Jagannatha’s Suna Besha, with the process set to begin shortly, Chief Administrator Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee said on Saturday.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Shree Jagannatha Temple Management Committee chaired by Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb at the temple office here. The new ornaments will be made from SJTA’s own funds, while devotees wishing to contribute may do so after consultation with the temple administration.
The committee reviewed videos of various programmes from this year’s Snana Yatra to Niladri Bije and examined lapses and deviations observed during the rituals. It decided to take necessary corrective measures to prevent their recurrence during the forthcoming Rath Yatra.
The Bhumi Pujan of the Shree Jagannatha Temple Sevayat Gurukul is scheduled to be held in November. The gurukul will have modern facilities, including a playground, auditorium, classrooms and a temple, with the development work to be undertaken through the Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation (OBCC).
The committee also directed OBCC to begin work on the Raghunandan Library at the earliest and decided to undertake improvement works at Shree Mandir Pramod Udyan.
Following government approval of the Shree Jagannath Bhumi Parichalana Adhiniyam, 2026, a special cell will be made operational at the Shree Jagannatha Temple office to provide correct information to the public, Padhee said.
A sub-committee headed by the Gajapati Maharaja has also been constituted to promote Shree Jagannath culture and tradition and take necessary legal action against individuals or organisations found distorting them.
The sub-committee will visit Delhi and hold discussions with the Centre on measures to protect Jagannath culture and tradition. Issues including installation of the wheels of the three chariots at Rashtrapati Bhavan, establishment of a Veda University at Harchandi Sahi, protection of Shree Jagannath land properties in Jatani and heritage illumination of Shree Mandir will also be discussed, Padhee said.
Shree Gundicha Temple will reopen for devotees from September 30. Entry will be free for the first three days, after which a nominal fee of Rs 10 will be charged. Senior citizens above 80 years, small children and differently-abled persons will be exempted from the fee.
The proposed queue-darshan system at the Shree Mandir Natamandap will first be implemented on a trial basis. A Management Committee team will study the model developed by IIT Bhubaneswar before further decisions are taken.
A separate darshan facility for senior citizens and differently-abled devotees will be introduced near the Uttara Dwar through a fixed daily slot-booking system. A similar slot-based arrangement will be introduced for residents of Puri town to enter the temple through the Uttara Dwar after detailed preparations by the district Collector and SP.
The temple committee members will also meet Jagadguru Shankaracharya on Saturday to seek his advice on discipline in temple rituals and other temple-related matters. His suggestions will be implemented, Padhee said.
