-Subhalaxmi Dash
Bhubaneswar: In the past few years, thousands of devotees have been seen forming long queues at the Singhadwara of the world-famous Puri Jagannath Temple. During New Year, Kartika month, Dussehra, and other festivals, devotees had to wait for hours inside barricades. There were even complaints of devotees being stuck in the Singhadwara barricade for up to 6 hours. On New Year’s Day, devotees queued from the temple to Medical Chhak. This disorder led to public criticism of the government and administration. However, since June 13, 2024, there has been a noticeable change.
With the BJP government coming to power in Odisha, led by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, there have been some changes in the management of the Jagannath Temple. On Thursday morning, after the Mangala Alati of Mahaprabhu, the Singhadwara and the other three gates (West Gate or Vyaghra Gate, North Gate or Hasti Gate, and South Gate or Ashwa Gate) were opened. This allowed devotees to enter the temple and have darshan of the deity without facing any barricade-induced congestion at Singhadwara. People joyfully exclaimed, “Jai Jagannath!”
Four Gates Opened in Presence of Chief Minister
After being sworn in as Chief Minister on Wednesday night, Mohan Charan Majhi held his first cabinet meeting, where the decision to open the four gates of the Jagannath Temple was made. He later informed the media that from June 13, 2024, the four gates of the temple would be open for devotees. This move meant that devotees would no longer have to wait for hours to enter the temple. The new administration, including Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Bardhan Singh Deo and Prabhati Parida, was present during the opening of the gates. The people of the state have expressed their gratitude as this was the first promise fulfilled by the BJP during the election campaign.
What the Chief Minister Said
Chief Minister Mohan Majhi said that the new government in the state has come to power with the blessings of Mahaprabhu. The opening of the four gates was made possible by Mahaprabhu’s grace. After offering prayers, they assessed the situation inside and outside the temple. Necessary steps will be taken to ensure organized darshan. Following the cabinet meeting, Majhi mentioned that various issues concerning the 4.5 crore people of Odisha were addressed. From June 13 morning, the four gates of the temple will be opened during Mangala Alati, ensuring that devotees have a smooth darshan experience. For years, the closure of three gates had caused significant inconvenience to devotees, creating a barrier between the devotees and the deity. Opening the gates will eliminate this barrier. Additionally, the state government will soon allocate a corpus fund of Rs. 500 crore for the development, conservation, and improvement of the temple.
Three Gates Closed for Four Years
The previous government had closed three gates of the Jagannath Temple since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before this, devotees visited the temple with religious beliefs in Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. After the Shilanyas (foundation stone laying) of the Parikrama Project on November 24, 2021, the three gates were closed. On February 3, 2022, it was decided that devotees would enter only through the Singhadwara, causing significant discomfort. Residents of Puri and the temple’s monks and residents were highly inconvenienced. There were protests and movements demanding the reopening of the four gates, supported by Puri residents, various organizations, and political parties. On July 24, 2023, the West Gate was opened only for Sevayats and Puri residents. However, the barricade at Singhadwara still caused suffering for the elderly, women, children, and differently-abled persons. Even after the inauguration of the Parikrama Project on January 17, 2024, all gates remained closed. A viral video showed devotees being let in through the West Gate with a lunch in hand. The temple’s Sevayats and management committee members also demanded the reopening of all gates, but the previous Naveen government remained indifferent. During the 2024 general election campaign, the BJP highlighted this issue and promised to open all four gates within six hours of coming to power.

Subhalaxmi Dash,
MA English with Communication Studies, Christ University, Bengaluru Yeshwanthpur Campus.