Jagannath Temple Sets Up First Breastfeeding Room for Devotee Mothers
New facility offers comfort, privacy, and support for nursing mothers at shrine
Bhubaneswar: In a significant step towards making religious spaces more inclusive and family-friendly, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in Puri, Odisha, has established its first-ever dedicated breastfeeding room for mothers visiting the shrine with infants.
The newly set-up, air-conditioned facility can accommodate up to four mothers at a time and is equipped with comfortable seating and privacy arrangements. Two female temple staff (Jagannath Temple Police personnel) have been deployed to assist mothers and ensure smooth functioning.
With thousands of devotees thronging the 12th-century shrine daily, many women had long struggled to find a safe and dignified space to feed their children. The temple administration, responding to this long-standing demand, created the facility near the temple complex to provide comfort and convenience for nursing mothers.
A medical team has also been stationed nearby to provide immediate assistance in case of emergencies.
“It was a long-pending requirement. We identified a suitable space and set up the room with all essential facilities. Volunteers and doctors will be available to extend help whenever needed,” said Puri Collector and Deputy Chief Administrator of SJTA, Dibya Jyoti Parida.
The move has been welcomed by devotees and social activists alike, who see it as a progressive step in enhancing the temple’s accessibility for families with young children. Many have praised the SJTA for addressing an often-overlooked need in public and religious spaces.
The initiative also aligns with broader efforts across the country to make public institutions—ranging from airports to railway stations and now places of worship—more sensitive to the needs of women and children.
