In Odisha, all four gates of Lord Jagannath temple in Puri have been reopened for devotees this morning in the presence of newly appointed Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and his council of ministers.

 

The three gates of the 12th-century shrine, which were closed since the COVID-19 pandemic, were reopened after the ‘Mangal Alati’ ritual of Lord Jagannath.

 

The chief minister, his two deputy chief ministers Kanak Varhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, ministers, several BJP MPs and party leaders visited the temple and offered prayers before Lord Jagannath.

 

They also conducted a ‘parikrama’ around the temple complex. Opening all the gates of Lord Jagannath temple was a key promise in the BJP’s election manifesto.

 

The previous BJD government had kept three out of four gates shut since the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

The devotees were allowed to enter through only Singhadwara (the Lion Gate), while the gates located at the three other sides of the temple remained closed, causing inconvenience to the devotees.