Bhubaneswar: Following threats from Renowned Sand Artist and Member of Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee Sudarshan Pattnaik, the West Gate (Paschima Dwara) of Shree Jagannath Temple at Puri has been opened for local devotees today.
The Shree jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), which was in adamant mind set for not opening the other gates of the Srimandir excluding the Lion’s Gate, has bent town following the threatening by an ardent devotee Shri Pattnaik and reopened the West Gate on Monday.
Sunday, Sudarsan had demanded for opening at least one more gate of the 12th-century shrine for local residents. He had threatened to stage a sit-in before the ‘Paschima Dwara’ of Srimandir from Monday if the demand is not fulfilled.
This statement of the Temple Managing Committee Member has forced the Temple Administration to open the gate for locals.
Considering the devotees’ demand, it has been decided to allow the people of the town to enter the temple through western gate. The locals are producing their identity proof at the gate for entering inside the temple, said Bhabatatan Sahu, Puri Sub Collector and Chairperson of the Sub-Committee entrusted by the Chhatisha Nijog to decide on opening of temple gates.
The State Government had closed down three gates of the 12th Century Shrine in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic. Though Covid-19 is now over, the temple administration was not in a mood to open the other three gates. Due to such an attitude, the thousands of devotees coming from different parts of the country are facing hardship while visiting the temple from one gate—Lion’s Gate.
Besides, the locals, who have given sacrifice many times for the development of the temple and smooth conduct of Rath Jatra during pandemic, have been facing difficulties to have darshan of Lord Jagannath.
In a lighter mood, a Jagannath devotee of Puri said, “As his devotees were facing a problem to have darshan, Lord Vishnu has sent his Sudarshan to help us.”
Now, by presenting their Adhaar card or any other identity proof of their nativity at the gate, the local people are now smoothly entering into the temple.
However, the outside Puri devotees are still waiting in a long queue before the Lion Gate to have darshan of the deities. There is a wide-spread demand from various quarters for reopening of the other two gates—North and South gates of the temple.
Devotees from all sections of the society including political leaders have demanded to open all gates of the temple for devotees for their entry into the temple as they have to stand in que for hours for entering the temple.
Former Minister Maheswar Mohanty, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra had also demanded to open temple gates for devotees.
Notably, on July 21, Sudarshan Pattnaik had written a letter to Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb in the opening of the three gates of the temple.
“We all are aware that there is a huge discontentment among the devotees, in particular, the locals related to the closing of three doors. During the Covid-19 pandemic, three doors were closed for the devotees, but why all the same has not been opened for the devotees?” he asked in his letter.
He had asked the Puri King to inform the devotees about the reasons for not opening the three gates. If there is any reason to not open other doors, we should inform devotees in a proper manner, he said.
Shri Pattnaik had demanded that at least one door should be opened immediately for the local people. However, the Puri King has remained silent on this demand.