Jagannath Temple Plans Dedicated Darshan Assistance For Elderly, Divyang Devotees
As part of the initiative, a ramp and railing connecting the North Gate Gumut of the 12th-century temple to the Kurma Bedha have already been constructed to facilitate easier movement of devotees with limited mobility.
Bhubaneswar: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in Puri is putting in place a dedicated assistance system for elderly and divyang devotees to ensure smoother and more dignified darshan at one of India’s most revered pilgrimage centres.
As part of the initiative, a ramp and railing connecting the North Gate Gumut of the 12th-century temple to the Kurma Bedha have already been constructed to facilitate easier movement of devotees with limited mobility.
The administration is also planning to deploy specially trained volunteers inside the temple to assist elderly and divyang devotees during their visit. The volunteers will help them move towards the Natamandap and Jagamohan and provide assistance during darshan.
The initiative is being backed by a technology-based system. The SJTA is preparing an online facility and a mobile application through which eligible devotees will be able to seek assistance before visiting the temple.
Initially, the facility is proposed to cater to 50 elderly and divyang devotees every day. The daily cap has been fixed in view of the logistical arrangements required to provide dedicated assistance inside the temple.
To operationalise the system, the Chief Administrator of the SJTA has written to the Puri Collector, who is also the chairman of the District Red Cross Society, seeking trained volunteers for the initiative.
The move assumes significance given the huge footfall at the Jagannath Temple, particularly during major festivals and religious occasions, when the movement of devotees through the temple premises becomes more challenging for those with mobility constraints.
The administration's approach seeks to combine physical infrastructure with trained human assistance and digital registration, with the objective of making the pilgrimage experience more accessible to senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
The initiative also comes against the backdrop of growing emphasis on making major religious and heritage destinations more accessible to all sections of society.
The SJTA has reiterated that ensuring a smooth and hassle-free darshan of the Chaturdha Vigraha — Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Sudarshan — for devotees and pilgrims remains one of its priorities.
The temple administration is expected to fine-tune the online and volunteer-assisted system before expanding the facility beyond the initial daily limit.
