CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: The four gates of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri were reopened for devotees on Thursday morning, one of the first decisions taken by Odisha’s new BJP government. New Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who chaired his first Cabinet meeting, also announced that a corpus fund will be set up for the temple’s upkeep.
Majhi, who visited the temple on Thursday morning for the ‘mangala aarti’ said the proposal to open all gates has already been carried out. “We had proposed to open all the four gates of Jagannath Temple in yesterday’s cabinet meeting. The proposal was passed and today at 6:30 am, I along with my MLAs and Puri MP Sambit Patra attended the ‘mangala aarti’,” Majhi said.
The temple has four gates at the Eastern, Southern, Western and Northern mid-points of the outer wall, known as Simhadwara (Lion’s Gate), Ashwa Dwara (Horse’s Gate), Vyagrhara Dwara (Tiger’s Gate) and Hasto Dwara (Elephant’s Gate).
All ministers had left for Puri on Wednesday night and stayed in the pilgrim town overnight so that they could be present when all four gates were reopened.
The CM added that a fund has been proposed in the cabinet for the development of the Jagannath Temple. “When we present the next state budget, we will allot a corpus fund of Rs 5 crores for the temple management,” he reiterated.
The BJP had included reopening the gates in their election manifesto. The gates were closed during the COVID-19 period by the BJD government. The devotees could enter through only one gate and despite demands to reopen all gates, the BJD government did not decide on that.