Temple Panel Member Opposes Midnight Opening of Srimandir for New Year

Amid growing resentment among religious bodies and leaders committed to protecting Hindu culture and traditions, a member of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee has urged the authorities not to keep the Srimandir open at midnight to mark the English New Year.

In a letter addressed to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and the Odisha government, managing committee member Mahesh Kumar Sahoo described the practice of opening the temple during the intervening night of December 31 and January 1 as “non-Sanatani” and religiously inappropriate.

Sahoo stated that Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannath is the Aradhya Devata of Sanatani Hindus and that all rituals at the Srimandir are traditionally conducted strictly in accordance with sacred Sanatan scriptures. He noted, however, that in recent years the temple has been kept open at midnight on January 1, a practice he said goes against established religious norms and traditions.

According to Sahoo, the midnight opening has repeatedly drawn objections from religious leaders and organisations, who have been expressing their resentment against the practice every year.

Terming the matter as religiously sensitive, Sahoo appealed to SJTA Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee and Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan to ensure that the daily rituals of the deities are performed in the traditional manner. He specifically urged the authorities not to keep the deities awake during night hours to accommodate celebrations linked to the English New Year.

The appeal highlights the continuing debate between adherence to long-established religious traditions and evolving practices at the Shree Jagannath Temple, one of Hinduism’s most revered shrines.