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All four gates of Puri's Jagannath Temple have been reopened for devotees on Thursday, June 13. The decision to reopen the gates was taken by the newly formed Bharatiya Janata Party government in Odisha, which had made it an election promise.
The gates had been closed since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020. During this time, devotees were only allowed to enter the temple through the Simhadwara (Lion Gate), which led to long queues and overcrowding.
In addition to reopening the gates, the Odisha cabinet also announced the setting up of a corpus fund worth ₹500 crore for the temple's upkeep and development. The cabinet also approved a new policy for farmers, setting a minimum support price for paddy at ₹3100 per quintal.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi said that the reopening of the temple gates was a fulfillment of the BJP's election promise. He also said that the corpus fund would be used for various development projects at the temple.
The reopening of the temple gates is expected to boost tourism in Puri, which is a popular pilgrimage destination. It is also expected to provide relief to devotees, who have been eagerly waiting to visit the temple.
Source: All 4 gates of Puri's Jagannath temple opened for devotees from today