Shut amid a raging third wave of Coronavirus pandemic and Omicron variant, the gates of the 12th century Jagannath temple will be thrown open for the public from 1 February.
The holy shrine, a revered pilgrimage destination for millions of followers of Jagannath cult across the globe, had been closed from 10 January to 31 January as covid cases had peaked in the State.
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The Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and Chatisa Nijoga comprising the thirty-six categories of servitors discussed the reopening issue through a video conference meeting on Friday. After elaborate discussion, it has been decided to reopen the temple with adherence to COVID-19 protocol. However the temple will remain shut on Sundays to facilitate sanitization of the temple, said Puri Collector, Samarth Verma.