Bhubaneswar, April 15: In a major initiative to improve the darshan experience for devotees, the Odisha government is planning to introduce an online slot booking system at the Jagannath Temple. The move is aimed at ensuring a smoother and more convenient visit for pilgrims.
Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said the temple administration is actively working on the mechanism, which will allow devotees to pre-book specific time slots for darshan of Lord Jagannath and His sibling deities.
He informed that the new system will function alongside the existing queue-based arrangement. Devotees with prior bookings will be accommodated through a separate holding area and allowed darshan at their scheduled time, thereby reducing long waiting hours and congestion inside the temple premises.
The minister added that the slot booking facility will initially be rolled out on a pilot basis. Discussions have already been held with the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration, and the final decision will be taken by the Temple Managing Committee after detailed deliberations.
Additionally, plans are underway to install air-conditioning in the Nata Mandap, with the tender process already initiated.
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