Puri: The Odisha government is planning to introduce an online slot booking system at Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri to ease long waiting times and manage the surging crowd, Law Minister Prithivraj Harichandan informed on Wednesday.
“Efforts are underway to streamline darshan of the sibling deities at the temple. While platforms will soon be installed for the queue system, slot booking will be simultaneously introduced, allowing devotees to visit the shrine at a specific time. Tenders have also been floated for installing an air conditioning system at Natamandap for the comfort of the devotees,” Harichandan told reporters.
Under the slot booking system, devotees will be accommodated in a separate holding area before being allowed darshan inside the temple premises. “These will be implemented on an experimental basis,” he noted.
The minister further stated that the number of devotees thronging the temple has increased manifolds in recent years and measures are being taken accordingly. “Around 60,000 devotees visit the shrine even on normal days,” he said.