By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/PURI: Thanks to Shree Jagannath Temple Administration led by Dr Krishna Kumar, Puri District Administration led by Samrtha Verma guided by Chief Secretary Suresh Mohapatra and Development Commissioner PK Jena and Puri Police led by Kanwar Vishal Singh guided by DGP Abhay and Central DIG, Ashish Singh.
With pro-active role of these above mentioned officers, devotees now having smile in the face entering into 12th century old majestic Lord Jagannath Temple for Mahaprabhu’s Darshan as restrictions imposed earlier, has been lifted.
“𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 – Special arrangement has been made for senior citizens for hassle free and facilitated Darshan. @DGPOdisha@odisha_police@cmo_odisha@MoSarkar5T,” Puri Police tweeted @SPPuri.
Since Thursday morning, Puri police were seen assisting differently abled and elderly devotees to have a hassle-free darshan in Jagannath temple as COVID-19 negative report is not mandatory for devotees to offer prayers in the 12th century shrine. 26 Platoons of force, 100 officers have been deployed to ensure hassle free Darshan. After a gap of around 10 months, the devotees are now going inside Lord Jagannath temple here without a mandatory requirment of showinbg COVID-19 negative report.
Puri Collector Samartha Verma said arrangements have been made for smooth darshan of at least 30,000 devotees every day from Thursday.As the administration is expecting a surge in the number of visitors, police has decided to deploy 26 platoons (one platoon comprising 30 personnel) of police force, two ASPs, seven DSPs and 20 Inspectors inside the temple and in the periphery. Although there will be no requirement for COVID negative report for the devotees, the coronavirus restrictions will be strictly followed, Verma said.
The devotees need to wear face masks and maintain social distancing inside and outside the temple. “Before entering the temple, devotees will have to properly sanitise their hands and undergo thermal scanning. Any devotee having body temperature of 100 Fahrenheit or more will not be allowed,” the collector said. Keeping in view the rise in the day temperature, arrangements have been made for availability of safe drinking water near the temple.
