Bhubaneswar: Gundicha Temple in Puri, revered as the birthplace of the sibling deities of the Jagannath temple, reopened to devotees on Wednesday, more than six years after it was closed following the outbreak of the Covid-19 in 2020.Until now, devotees could enter the Gundicha Temple only briefly during the annual Rath Yatra, when Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra stayed there for about seven days. The shrine remained closed to the public for the rest of the year.Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) opened the Gundicha Temple doors to devotees on Wednesday morning amid chants of “Jai Jagannath” following a puja. SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Kumar Padhee and other officials attended the reopening ceremony.The Gundicha Temple will have an entry fee, unlike the Jagannath Temple, where the entry is free. However, devotees will be allowed free entry for the first three days, until Oct 2. Beginning Oct 3, an entry fee of Rs 10 per person will be levied, according to the SJTA. Children below five years of age, senior citizens above 80 years, and differently abled pilgrims will be exempt from the fee, according to the SJTA sources. The temple will remain open from 6 am to 5 pm.“In the past, we received complaints that private operators managing the Gundicha Temple were fleecing tourists by charging anywhere between Rs 50 and Rs 500. We have now fixed a nominal entry fee of Rs 10,” Padhee said.Located around 3 km from the Jagannath Temple, Gundicha Temple is unique as its sanctum sanctorum remains vacant without any deity for most of the year. The sibling deities reside there for about a week only during the nine-day Rath Yatra.Padhee said three wheels from the Rath Yatra chariots have been placed inside the temple premises to enhance the spiritual experience for the devotees, while air-conditioners have been installed in the Jagamohan and Nata Mandap.Pragati Dash, a devotee from Dhenkanal district, said: “Even though no deity is worshipped during the rest of the year except during the Rath Yatra, we are blessed to offer prayers at the birthplace of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. The reopening will allow devotees to experience its spiritual significance beyond the Rath Yatra period.”Neither the SJTA nor Puri district administration, however, clarified why the temple remained closed even after the Covid restrictions were lifted in 2022. Some officials said renovation work delayed its reopening.