Tourists have started flocking to Puri even though Jagannath temple remains closed

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

It’s hardly been just a year that Puri had somehow coped with the disastrous effects of Cyclone and put behind its ravage and started welcoming the visitors back once again when the coronavirus pandemic imposed a pause button in March 2020 one more time. However, the coastal town, which brags of many popular beaches and the world-renowned temple of Lord Jagannath, is bouncing back once again.

Shasank Rath, tourism officer of Puri, informed us that the tourist flow to this religious coastal town has increased once again after the pandemic related restrictions on movement were lifted.

“Many local tourists, mostly from different districts of Odisha, are visiting the town on weekends. People from neighboring states like West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhatishgarh are also coming in by road and by train,” he said, adding, “Once the Jagannath temple reopens, the number of tourists will surely go up.”

As all living monuments like the temple of Lord Jagannath, in the state remains closed till now, non-living ones like the Konark temple have opened its gates to the tourists. However, Odisha government has introduced several steps to attract visitors back to the state. In all the active tourism spots of Odisha, hotel authorities have been allowed to function and even eco-tourism and nature camps have been restarted. Also, the state tourism department has initiated many projects to attract visitors back.

Furthermore, from Oct 1st, train services to Puri have been resumed, making travel to this seaside town trouble-free. Daily bus services have also started plying to Puri from Bhubaneswar. “In the past 10 days, we have been noticing an increase in tourist flow. We are hopeful that in the coming tourist season, Puri will bounce back completely,” Rath said.

In addition, the tourism department has been training hotel employees and taxi drivers.

Our primary focus is to create a safe environment for tourists as well as people dependent on tourism. So, we have taken up a large-scale screening programme of hotel and restaurant staff. We are also sensitising cab drivers and hotel staff about safety protocols,” said Vishal Kumar Dev, commissioner-cum-secretary, Odisha Tourism, mentioning that they are also keen on tourism promotion. On the World Tourism Day, they campaigned for Tourism by Road, to draw more people who love driving to places. Also, Odia cuisines are being promoted.

“We are also extending the eco-retreat programme, which was held last year on Puri beach, to four other places across the state,” he added.

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