Historic Moment: All Four Gates of Puri’s Jagannath Temple Reopened After BJP’s Landmark Victory in Odisha

NEW DELHI: BJP’s victory in Odisha is historic, as it defeated the 24-year-old reign of BJD in the state. During the electoral season, BJP promised to open all four doors of Puri’s Jagannath Temple if it came to power. This promise came true as devotees witnessed the opening of the 12th-century-old temple’s four gates, which had remained closed since the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the new Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s first cabinet meeting, the challenges faced by devotees due to the closure of three gates were discussed. It was a challenging task for devotees to do darshan of Lord Jagannath with only one gate open.

The four doors of the temple are:

1. Singh Dwara: Singh means lion, and the lion is a symbolic representation of MOKSHA. It is popularly said that if you enter the temple through this gate, you will attain moksha.

2. Ashwa Dwara (Horse Gate): The horses symbolically represent KAMA or lust. There are two galloping horses with Jagannath and Balabhadra on their backs in martial glory.

3. Vyaghara Dwara (Tiger Gate): The tiger is a symbol of DHARMA. Dharma is an important philosophy in Hindu religion.

4. Hasti Dwara (Elephant Gate): The Hasti Dwara, or Elephant Gate, had colossal figures of elephants on each side, which were disfigured during the Muslim inroads.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, only the Singh Dwara was open, causing many problems for pilgrims. During the recent elections in Odisha, BJP mentioned in their manifesto that if they came into power, all four gates would be opened. This promise has now been fulfilled.