Hans News Service Puri

TheGundicha temple in Puri, situated close to the famous Jagannath temple, reopened for devotees on Wednesday after a hiatus of six years, officials said.

The temple doors opened at 7.45 am, after rituals were performed in the presence of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee. The Gundicha temple had remained closed for the public since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. “The public can visit the Shree Gundicha Temple from 6 am to 5 pm every day. While devotees aged 80 years and above and children of 5 years or below can visit free of cost, others have to pay Rs 10 as entry fee. The fee is being collected not for any revenue generation, but for regulatory expenses,” Padhee told reporters. However, no fee will be collected from devotees for the first three days from September 30, he said. All ancillary arrangements have been made by the temple administration, district administration and the Puri police for the convenience of devotees, the officials said.

The Gundicha temple, where the idols of Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath are kept for seven days every year during the Rath Yatra, is located around 2.6 km from the 12th-century main shrine.