To manage the anticipated crowd on New Year’s Day, the Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri will open its doors to devotees at 1am. A decision was taken to conclude the temple rituals promptly on Sunday, enabling the closure of doors at 11pm, with plans to reopen them two hours later, Puri district collector Samarth Verma said.

Every year on January 1, hundreds of thousands of devotees throng to the temple to seek the blessings of the sibling deities – Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra.

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“We expect that about 3-4 lakh devotees will visit the temple on New Year’s Day. The added enthusiasm is also because the people want to experience the revamped surrounding of the temple due to the heritage corridor project, which is almost complete, and will be inaugurated on January 17,” said Ranjan Das, the chief administrator of Jagannath Temple.

Amenities such as drinking water and lavatories are now accessible within the structure. Additionally, seating arrangements have been made for the convenience of visitors.

“We have already fined some people for chewing pan and tobacco inside the temple. We appeal to all to follow the instructions of the SJTA for making the temple premises clean and healthy,” said Ranjan Das.

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Officials have announced traffic restrictions in the town ahead of New Year’s Day. The stretch from Market Chakka to Singhadwara on Badadanda has been designated as a ‘No Vehicle Zone.’ Vehicles are also prohibited on the beachside road from Digabareni to Lighthouse. Only emergency vehicles are allowed on these restricted roads, DIG Ashish Kumar Singh said.

For local and inter-state tourist buses, parking is designated at the Malatipatpur bus stand, while regular passenger buses face no restrictions. Special arrangements have been made for parking of cars at Saradha Bali, Jail Road, Yatrika, and Jagannath Ballav parking lots.

(With inputs from PTI)