Puri: Pan and gutkha will be completely banned on the premises of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri from 1 January 2024, said Ranjan Das, Chief Administrator, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA).
The temple administration has also written to the Chhatisha Nijog in this regard mentioning that though there is provision of penalty for consumption of pan and gutkha on the premises, no one was obeying the rule.
Awareness over non-consumption of pan and gutkha on the temple premises will be carried out while the prohibition will come into force from January 1. Penalty will be imposed on the violators.
The decision came after empty gutkha packets and pan spit were found on the temple premises. The temple administration has urged its staff, servitors of the temple and devotees not to consume pan and gutkha inside the temple.
