Bhubaneswar: After standing in serpentine queues for hours, especially in heat and sweat during the summer months, devotees can now have the darshan of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra more comfortably and peacefully inside the Puri shrine.Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has installed air conditioners (ACs) in the temple’s Nata Mandap, a prominent darshan space. According to the SJTA, the facility, available from Monday, will enhance the comfort of devotees visiting the shrine for darshan.SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Kumar Padhee said the facility would ease the inconvenience of worshippers, particularly during the scorching summer months. “Some years ago, ACs were installed in the Jagamohan (audience hall) darshan space, facing the sanctum sanctorum. With the new installation in the Nata Mandap (dancing hall) adjacent to Jagamohan, devotees will find it far more convenient,” Padhee said.The proposal to install the ACs in Nata Mandap was approved by the SJTA in Oct 2024.Devotees welcomed the AC installation, calling it a thoughtful gesture. “Standing amid a massive crowd during summer was exhausting. The cool air in Nata Mandap will make the wait bearable and add to the serenity of darshan,” Ramesh Das, a pilgrim from Cuttack, said.The upgrade comes ahead of the proposed queue darshan launch in the same hall. The state govt has roped in IIT Bhubaneswar to provide technical expertise for the queue system, aimed at streamlining crowd management.The SJTA officials said an earlier plan to introduce elevated wooden ramps in the Nata Mandap area would be modified. “We had initially planned wooden ramps to improve devotees’ view of the deities. However, IIT Bhubaneswar is now preparing a pilot model to refine the design,” an official said.Sources indicated that the prototype is expected to be ready for a trial run within the next three to four months. As per the revised plan, five to six lanes of elevated ramps will be constructed in the Nata Mandap and Jagamohan, enabling at least 8,000 to 10,000 devotees to move through the system every hour. The design will allow devotees clearer glimpses of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra from a distance.The SJTA stressed that the modification is crucial, given the current disorganised system where devotees crowd the Nata Mandap during major festivals, often struggling amid chaos and congestion. “The present arrangement leaves many disappointed, as they cannot properly see the deities. The new system will ease congestion and enrich the spiritual experience,” a senior temple official said.Temple authorities believe the combined initiatives will streamline crowd flow, reduce disorder and provide a more fulfilling darshan for visitors.
