Bhubaneswar, 3 September (H.S.): In a major administrative step, the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee on Wednesday approved the pilot implementation of Dhadi Darshan (queue-based darshan) at the Natamandap and inner sanctum of the temple, where devotees gather to witness rituals.

The move aims to improve crowd management while ensuring that the daily rituals of Lord Jagannath remain unaffected, said Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator, Arabinda Padhee.

To oversee the system, a nine-member panel under the chairmanship of the Puri District Collector has been constituted. The committee will study the plan in detail, engage with stakeholders, and submit a Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) to the SJTA. The queue-based darshan will initially be implemented on a trial basis, with necessary changes incorporated later.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has also cleared the proposal to install air-conditioning at the Natamandap for devotees’ comfort.

In addition, the managing committee announced the creation of 14 sub-committees to streamline temple operations. These include panels on security, research, publications, and servitor welfare. Of these, four are statutory committees dealing with finance, policy, the Ratna Bhandar (temple treasury), and appeals.

Prominent leaders will head key panels, including Gajapati Maharaja and Girish Chandra Murmu, who has been appointed chairman of the security sub-committee.

“The new arrangement will be introduced in a way that does not disrupt rituals. Barricades will be placed, and the system will be closely monitored on a trial basis,” Padhee said, adding that the SoP for Dhadi Darshan will be submitted soon.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda