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.
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.