All Four Gates of Jagannath Temple in Puri Opened for Devotees

Puri: In a significant move aimed at easing the darshan process for devotees, all four gates (dwaras) of the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, were opened on Thursday morning. This decision, taken during the first Cabinet meeting of the newly elected Mohan Majhi government on Wednesday, was implemented in the presence of the Odisha Council of Ministers.

Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, discussing the decisions taken by the BJP government in its inaugural meeting, stated, “Considering the huge rush and inconvenience caused to the devotees at Puri Srimandir, it has been decided that all the four dwaras of Srimandir will be opened during the Mangala Alati tomorrow (Thursday) in the presence of the Council of Ministers, as mentioned in the BJP’s election manifesto earlier. The decision has been taken to facilitate smooth darshan for the devotees.”

The reopening of the gates commenced during the Mangala Alati of the deities this morning. This move follows the BJP’s poll promise to ensure all four gates of the temple are accessible, enhancing the ease of entry for devotees to the renowned shrine.

It is noteworthy that the gates of the 12th-century temple were initially closed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Subsequently, only the Singhadwara (Lions Gate) was reopened for devotees, while the three other gates—Ashwa Dwara (Horse Gate), Vyaghra Dwara (Tiger Gate), and Hasti Dwara (Elephant Gate)—remained closed. This partial reopening led to long queues of devotees outside the temple each day, eager to have darshan of the Holy Trinity.