Baipariguda: The ticket system for darshan (worship visits) at the renowned Shaivite shrine Gupteswar Temple has been discontinued. This was officially informed to the media today by Koraput District Collector V. Keerthi Vasan during a press briefing at Baipariguda.
Previously, darshan tickets were issued under a tender-based system, which was valid until June 24 of this year. However, the Debottar Department has now clarified that no fresh tender has been floated to continue this system.
It is worth noting that entry without a ticket was not permitted at the main gate of the Gupteswar shrine. Every year, thousands of devotees from across Odisha, as well as neighboring states like Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh, visit the temple for darshan.
While entry tickets are not required at most major pilgrimage sites in Odisha, the introduction of such a system in Gupteswar Temple, located in a tribal-dominated area of Koraput district, had drawn widespread opposition.
Various voluntary organizations, Hindu groups, and several intellectuals from Baipariguda had repeatedly opposed this system, raising complaints at multiple levels.
In response to public grievances and ongoing objections, the district administration has now officially revoked the ticket system for darshan at Gupteswar Temple.
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