Special Arrangements for President Murmu’s Puri Jagannath Visit

Puri: Special arrangements have been put in place for President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri on February 3, officials announced on Monday.

To ensure a smooth and secure darshan, only the Palia sevayats of the temple will be permitted inside. The Puri police will issue special passes to these sevayats, temple authorities said.

Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), said that sevayats with duties at the Parswadebata (side deities) or Rosasala (temple kitchen) will enter the shrine through the Ashwa Dwara (Horse Gate). President Murmu is scheduled to first have darshan at the Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) of Lord Jagannath and His siblings.

Following this, she will proceed via Dhukudi Dwara (Southern Gate) to Beheran Dwara, Mukti Mandap and the Vimala Temple for darshan of Maa Vimala. Members of the Chhatisa Nijog, including the Nijog Nayak, will be present at Beheran Dwara during the President’s visit.

A high-level meeting to finalise these arrangements was attended by Puri District Magistrate Dibya Jyoti Parida, Puri SP Prateek Singh, sevayat Baidyanath Mohapatra—who has previously assisted with the President’s temple visits—and other senior officers and representatives of Chhatisa Nijog.

President Murmu will arrive in Puri on the evening of February 3 after visits to Jajpur and Balasore. In Jajpur, she will offer prayers at the Maa Biraja Temple and perform rituals at Nabhi Gaya. She will then proceed to Balasore to attend the 12th Convocation Ceremony of Fakir Mohan University before arriving in Puri for the evening darshan at the Jagannath Temple and performing Pind Daan.

On February 4, the President is scheduled to offer Pind Daan at Swetaganga at 7 a.m., followed by darshan of Lord Jagannath at 7:40 a.m. To accommodate security protocols, the temple will open at 4 a.m. and undergo cleaning until 6 a.m. No devotees will be allowed inside the temple during the President’s visit. President Murmu is expected to conclude her darshan and depart the temple at around 8:20 a.m.