Bhubaneswar: Devotees visiting the Jagannath temple in Puri may soon be spared of waiting in queues for hours. The Odisha govt is planning to introduce an online slot booking system to streamline crowd management and ease the darshan experience, law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said on Wednesday.“We are working on the modalities for the darshan slot booking facility. Discussions have already been held with the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration, and the matter will be placed before the temple managing committee shortly,” said Harichandan.Under the proposed system, devotees will be able to reserve their darshan slots in advance and arrive at the temple at their designated time. They will be accommodated in a separate holding area before being allowed entry into the sanctum.The minister emphasised that the initiative aims to reduce overcrowding, regulate visitor flow, and ensure a more organised and spiritually fulfilling darshan. “The traditional queue system will continue alongside the new online facility, which will be introduced on an experimental basis,” the minister said.The govt is also moving ahead with plans to revamp the existing queue system. Six elevated ramps — each 16ft long and 4ft wide — will be installed in the Nata Mandap and Jagamohan areas, directly facing the sanctum sanctorum. The design will raise devotees’ eye level, allowing clearer glimpses of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra from a distance. “Additionally, tenders have been floated for installing an air-conditioning system at Nata Mandap to enhance comfort of devotees,” the minister said.The 12th century shrine has witnessed a surge in visitors since the BJP govt reopened all four temple doors on June 13, 2024, a day after chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi took oath. Three doors had remained closed since 2020, causing inconvenience to devotees. Reopening them was a key pre-poll promise of the BJP.On normal days, the temple witnesses around 50,000 to 60,000 visitors, but the number often exceeds 1 lakh on weekends, creating inconvenience for devotees and crowd-control challenges for police.“To manage the rush, the govt is adopting multiple measures. We are also working to facilitate smooth darshan for local residents of Puri, saints and seers, as well as elderly and physically-challenged devotees,” Harichandan added.
