Queue System for Darshan at Puri Jagannath Temple to Begin from September 15

Puri: The long-discussed queue system for darshan at the Jagannath Temple in Puri will finally come into effect from 15 September, Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan announced on Friday.

Harichandan said the arrangement will be rolled out soon after the constitution of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, expected by 3 or 4 September. The panel, in its first meeting, will also decide on shifting the Hundi (donation box) from the Jagamohan area of the shrine.

“The temple administration is fully geared up to introduce the system. With the queue system in place, crowd management will improve and devotees will be able to have darshan of the deities in a disciplined and hassle-free manner,” the Minister said.

The Managing Committee, which oversees the functioning of the 12th-century shrine, has been lying defunct since August 2024 when its tenure expired. The delay in reconstituting the body has triggered criticism from temple servitors and devotees, especially in the wake of unresolved matters such as the Ratna Bhandar (treasury) inventory and the Rath Yatra stampede earlier this year.