Puri, Friday, 5 September 2025.
Last Wednesday the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee approved a pilot ‘Dhadi Darshan’ queue at the Natamandap, introducing AC‑fitted interior routing, ramps, barricaded lanes and a nine‑member supervisory panel led by the Puri District Collector. Fourteen sub‑committees were formed to professionalize governance—covering finance, rituals, the Ratna Bhandar treasury, appeals and security—while former CAG Girish Chandra Murmu will chair the newly created security sub‑committee, signalling an unprecedented emphasis on safety and integrity. The trial aims to smooth throughput, protect ritual protocols and improve accessibility for elderly and differently‑abled visitors; an SOP will follow the pilot. For theme‑park and attractions professionals, this is a live case of heritage sites adopting commercial visitor‑management tools (AC routing, lane design, stakeholder governance) to balance throughput and conservation. The most intriguing fact: a high‑profile security lead paired with ASI‑approved air conditioning shows heritage custodians are prioritizing both ceremonial sanctity and operational professionalism and measurable crowd metrics.
Background and administrative shift at Puri’s Natamandap
A managing committee newly constituted for the Shree Jagannath Temple has approved a pilot ‘Dhadi Darshan’ queueing system at the Natamandap, part of a wider administrative revamp that created 14 sub-committees to professionalize governance and operational oversight [1][3]. The committee has described the Darshan rollout as experimental, to be refined into a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) after the trial phase [1][3]. This governance reshuffle follows the formation of the managing committee earlier this year and signals a formal move toward institutionalized management of high-density devotional flows [2][1].
What the pilot introduces: physical interventions and ASI clearance
The pilot plan includes air-conditioned interior routing, multi-lane ramps, barricaded lanes and organized entry lanes within the Natamandap to manage throughput while aiming to protect ritual protocols; the Archaeological Survey of India has reportedly granted permission for air-conditioning in the Nata (Natamandap) area [1][2][3]. Temple administrators have described specific provisions for elderly, women, differently-abled visitors and designated lanes such as a six-lane ramp configuration to ease movement and accessibility within the hall [2][3].
Security and oversight: new panels and high‑profile leadership
As part of the governance package, the committee formed a security sub-committee chaired by former Comptroller and Auditor General Girish Chandra Murmu (also a former Lieutenant Governor), underscoring a heightened administrative emphasis on safety and integrity [1][3][5]. A separate nine-member supervisory committee, led by the Puri District Collector, was constituted to coordinate implementation and to consult directly with sevayats and Nijogs to ensure physical changes do not disrupt ritual practice [1][3].
Stakeholder engagement and operational caution
Administrators have signalled active engagement with servitor groups and local stakeholders, acknowledging concerns—such as potential income impacts for sevayats—and indicating that the supervisory committee will hold discussions and finalise SOPs before broader roll‑out [3][1]. Officials emphasised the trial nature of the scheme and the need to balance crowd-flow engineering with uninterrupted ceremonial protocols [1][3].
Why attractions and theme‑park professionals should watch this trial
For professionals in the theme-park and high-volume attractions sector, the Puri pilot is a practical example of heritage custodians adopting commercial visitor-management tools—air-conditioned routing, lane engineering, ramped accessibility, and layered governance led by security specialists—to reconcile throughput with preservation of ritual experience and stakeholder interests [1][2][3]. The combination of ASI-approved climate control and an external security lead illustrates an operational posture that treats measurable crowd management and ceremonial sanctity as complementary priorities rather than competing ones [1][3][5].
Public statements and media reports note the pilot will begin on a trial basis and that an SOP will follow, but reporting differs on a concrete launch date; some outlets mention a target of mid-September while administrators have emphasised the SOP-first approach and declined to commit to a specific start date in the same breath [3][5][1][alert! ‘Sources give conflicting specifics on the exact start date—some cite September 15 while officials stress SOP completion before full deployment’]. The supervisory committee is charged with coordinating trial implementation, assessing impacts on rituals and livelihoods, and translating lessons learned into formal operational rules [1][3].
Bronnen