Tradition of opening the gates of the Jagannath Temple at midnight every year to welcome the English New Year is under heavy fire within the temple administration itself. Mahesh Sahu of the managing committee of Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha has written to the Gajapati Maharaja, and the Law Minister and the chief administrator of the Jagannath Temple that it is against the Sanatan tradition of their forefathers not to while the night of January 1 with prayers and progammes while the deity is awake.
In his letter, Sahu emphasises that the 12th-century shrine has always been governed by strict scriptural protocols. He points out that the practice of performing the Dwarafita (opening of the doors) ritual shortly after midnight has only become a regular habit in recent years to accommodate New Year crowds. According to Sahu, this shift is religiously inappropriate and contradicts long-established temple traditions. He urged the authorities to treat the matter with the religious sensitivity it deserves and stop the practice of altering rituals for secular milestones.
His concerns are being echoed by the temple’s senior servitors. Binayak Dasmohapatra, a senior Sevayat, noted that January 1 holds no spiritual weight in the Odia calendar, where the New Year is traditionally observed on April 14. He argued that it is fundamentally wrong to keep the "Holy Trinity" awake at night just to align with a Gregorian calendar date, especially right after the Pahuda (sleeping) ritual is performed.
Despite the objections, the temple administration is moving ahead with preparations for a massive influx of devotees. With several expected to converge on Puri for the year-end, officials are currently making arrangements to manage the midnight darshan so that safety of the pilgrims is ensured, even as the debate over the sanctity of these rituals continues to simmer.
Also read: Bajrang Dal, VHP protest outside Puri Jagannath Temple
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