THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
PURI,
SEPTEMBER 30, 2026
The historic Gundicha
Temple in Puri, closely associated with the annual Rath Yatra of Lord
Jagannath, reopened its doors to devotees on Wednesday after remaining closed
to the public for six years.
The temple opened at
7.45 am following a series of rituals conducted in the presence of Shree
Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Padhee,
officials said.
The shrine had
remained inaccessible to the public since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic
in 2020. Its reopening marks the return of regular darshan at a temple that
occupies a central place in Puri’s religious traditions.
Devotees can now
visit the Gundicha Temple between 6 am and 5 pm every day. While devotees aged
80 years and above and children aged five years or below will be allowed free
entry, others will have to pay an entry fee of Rs 10.
“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 five 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.
No entry fee,
however, will be collected from devotees for the first three days following the
reopening, beginning September 30, he said.
The temple administration,
district administration and Puri Police have made necessary arrangements for
the smooth movement and convenience of devotees, officials said.
The Gundicha Temple holds special significance in the Jagannath tradition. During the annual Rath Yatra, the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra are brought from the main shrine to the temple, where they remain for seven days before returning to the Srimandir.
Located around 2.6 km from the 12th-century Jagannath Temple, the Gundicha shrine is traditionally regarded as the destination of the deities’ annual chariot journey, drawing thousands of devotees during the festival.
