Lions gate closed for repair works

PURI: Lions Gate, the main entrance to Sri Jagannath Temple here, will remain closed for the public from Thursday. This is for the first time in the history of the 13th Century shrine that the devotees will be denied entry into the temple through the Lions Gate.“The devotees can, however, enter the temple through three other gates in south, north and western direction,” a release of Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) said.People will not be allowed entry through Lions Gate as the ASI has decided to carry out repair work on the front portion of the temple. The doors at the Lions Gate will be closed during the night and open early in the morning as per the rituals associated with the temple, the release said. Repair works will be completed before ‘Snana Purnima’ which will take place on June 4.Vacant posts at Puri hospital to be filled upYet again, the issue of delay in temple rituals was raised at the second high-level coordination meeting for the annual Rath Yatra on Wednesday.  The Car Festival this year will be held on June 21.Expressing concern over delay in the observance of daily rituals during the Chandan Yatra, the temple administration and servitors were asked to streamline the daily rituals at the temple.Issues like poor health and hygiene and delay in laying of water pipelines were also discussed. Health Department officials were asked to fill up vacant specialist and doctor posts in the district headquarters hospital and all health centres ahead of the Rath Yatra. As per a report of the Health Department, 60 doctor posts, 13 specialists and 269 para-medical staff posts are vacant. The officials, among other things, deliberated on uninterrupted power, drinking water, construction of the three chariots and security of the pilgrims during the fete.SP Arum Sahoo said an integrated police control room would operate round-the-clock to monitor the crowd.