Sambalpur: Samaleswari Temple Trust Board Enforces Ban on Paan, Gutkha, Bidi Cigarettes; What If You Violate?

Sambalpur: From now on, the use of any kind of intoxicating substances like paan, gutkha, bidi cigarettes, etc. will be banned within the premises of the Maa Samlei Temple in Sambalpur. The temple trust board has declared that anyone found violating this rule will be fined.

This decision has been taken to maintain the sanctity and cleanliness of the temple premises. The Maa Samlei Temple has undergone a major makeover through the Samlei Project, which has enhanced its surroundings and made it look very beautiful. Since the inauguration of this project, there has been a huge increase in the number of devotees visiting the temple.

Especially in the evenings, the sound and light show depicting the mythological and historical stories related to Maa Samlei attracts a lot of devotees. Plans are also underway to start a daily Mahanadi Aarti ritual at the temple soon. So far, only 40 acres of land have been developed under the Samlei Project, but after the second phase, it will expand to 108 acres.

With the spike in devotee numbers after the first phase inauguration on 27th January, the temple authorities felt the need to enforce cleanliness and sanctity norms within the premises, similar to the Puri Jagannath Temple. Hence, this ban on intoxicating substances. The step has been widely appreciated by the general public.