SJTA to prepare new gold ornaments for Suna Besha, Gundicha Temple to reopen on Sept 30

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Puri: A new set of gold ornaments for the Suna Besha rituals of Lord Jagannatha and his siblings will prepared and the Gundicha Temple will reopen on September 30, informed Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Arabinda Kumar Padhee today.

The decision to prepare new gold ornaments for Suna Besha rituals and reopening of the Gundicha Temple was taken during a meeting of the Shree Jagannatha Temple Management Committee held under the chairmanship of Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb at the temple office earlier today.

Apart from the above two decisions, many other decisions were also taken during the meeting which concluded after four hours. Following the meeting, SJTA Chief Administrator briefed the media persons and informed that the SJTA will prepare the ornaments for the Suna Besha with its own fund; however, devotees who want to contribute can do so.

He further informed that discussions were held regarding the inventory of the Lord Jagannath’s Ratna Bhandar (treasury). Besides, discussions about an ‘Adarsha Gurukul’ (model residential school) for the children of the Sevayats (temple servitors) were also held. Out of the total 1,300-metre boundary wall planned for the Gurukul, 800 metre have already been constructed, he informed adding that the Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation (OBCC) has been tasked to design the Gurukul that will have modern facilities including the school building, playground, and hostel.

The Bhumi Pujan (ground-breaking) ceremony of the Gurukul will be held November in the presence of Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan and Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, Padhee stated.

Similarly, discussions were also held regarding the development of a Pramod Udyaan (recreational park), Sri Jagannath Culture Centre, the Raghunandan Library, and housing for the sevayats (temple servitors, for which 3 acres and 25 decimals of land has been allocated in Harachandi Sahi, the SJTA Chief Administrator mentioned.

Work on an online portal for the Sri Jagannath Land Management Act 2026 is currently underway and is set to launch soon, Padhee said adding that a proposal has also been made to establish a facilitation cell to support servitors, servitor bodies (Niyogs), and the promotion of Mathas.

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Additionally, the audit report for the Sri Mandir for the 2025-26 financial year was presented during the meeting and estimates regarding the temple administration’s income and expenditure were prepared, Arabinda informed.

A sub-committee headed by the Gajapati has been formed; this committee will visit Delhi, and hold discussions with the Central government seeking its help to protect and preserve the Jagannath culture and tradition, he said adding that the sub-committee will also discuss with the centre regarding installation of the wheels of the three chariots at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi, establishment of a Veda University at Harchandi Sahi, protection of Shree Jagannath land properties in Jatani and heritage illumination of Shree Mandir.

According to Padeeh, the meeting also decided to reopen the Gundicha Temple on September 30, with visiting hours for devotees scheduled from 6 AM to 5 PM. The entry into the temple will be free for the first three days but later a nominal fee of Rs 10 will be charged. However, fees will not be collected from citizens above 80 years, small children and differently-abled devotees, he clarified.

The SJTA Chief Administrator also informed that a slot booking system will also be implemented for a specific period to facilitate the entry of differently-abled persons and senior citizens into the Srimandir near the Uttara Dwar.

He further clarified that slot bookings and specific timings will also be provided for the residents of Puri and the District Collector and the SP will make the arrangements for the same.

Speaking about the proposed queue-darshan system at the Shree Mandir Natamandap, Padhee said that first it will be implemented on a trial basis after a Management Committee team studies the model developed by IIT Bhubaneswar. Following which, a final decision for the queue-darshan system will be taken, he mentioned.

Also Read: SJTA Chief Administrator Writes To Jaipur Collector To Stop Proposed Ratha Yatra On August 16

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