Puri, Odisha: In a significant move for devotees, all four doors of the renowned Jagannath Temple in Puri have been opened. This decision was made during the inaugural cabinet meeting of the newly elected BJP government in Odisha, led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.The announcement to open all four gates (dwaras) of the Srimandir during the Mangala Alati rituals was made by the Chief Minister on Wednesday. Following the announcement, the Chief Minister and his ministers visited Puri to participate in the ‘dwara phita’ rituals, marking the official opening.
Furthermore, the Chief Minister declared the establishment of a corpus fund with an allocation of Rs 500 crore dedicated to the development and management of the Srimandir.The preparations for this significant event began on June 11. Puri District Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain chaired a meeting with key stakeholders, including the shrine’s development administrator and police personnel, to finalize the arrangements. A committee was formed to oversee the implementation of this decision.Meanwhile, construction work for the upcoming Rath Yatra 2024 is progressing at the Ratha yard (khala) on the grand road of Puri. The demand for opening all four doors has been a long-standing one, gaining particular momentum on July 20, 2023.