At Rs 500/day, parking fee at SJTA-run guest houses in Puri 3x more than Bhubaneswar airport

Bhubaneswar: If you are planning to drive down to Puri for the Lord’s darshan and intend to spend a night at one of the four guest houses run by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), then think again. While you can get a decent room in one of the guest houses for tariffs ranging from Rs 900 to Rs 2,376, the parking fee could be a headache with the SJTA levying an unprecedented Rs 500/day charge to park four-wheelers on the premises.The new parking fee, introduced from Wednesday, has sparked widespread outrage among devotees, servitors, and tourists. The charge is not only highest in the state but nearly three times more if you are parking your four-wheeler at Bhubaneswar international airport, where it cost Rs 165.“Parking fee of Rs 500 (including 18% GST) per four-wheeler for 24 hours shall be collected from guests who park their vehicle. The assistant managers will ensure collection of the fees from January 7, 2026 until further orders,” read the SJTA directive.In Puri, parking fees near the Jagannath Temple, beach and some tourist places normally ranges between Rs 20 and Rs 60.The SJTA order drew sharp criticism with many comparing it to the room tariffs in the guest houses. With room tariff starting at about Rs 900-Rs 1,100, visitors argued that daily parking fee alone nearly equalled or even exceeded half the accommodation cost, making the stay disproportionately expensive.Tourists slammed the move as irrational, pointing out that hotels across India and abroad rarely impose parking charges on their guests. “First, hotels across India do not charge parking fee. If the SJTA implements it, a nominal parking fee might be acceptable, but Rs 500 is the costliest in India and it is excessive and unreasonable. Airports, railway stations and shopping malls do not charge so much,” said Prahlad Ghosh, a tourist from Kolkata, staying at one of the guest houses run by the temple administration.Sources within the SJTA confirmed that some guests, feeling the fee pinch, cut short their stays and checked out early after reaching Puri in their own vehicles.Servitors, too, voiced strong opposition, stressing that the temple guest houses are meant to provide affordable accommodation to devotees. “Charging excessive and additional money of Rs 500 as parking fee is a strange, ridiculous and absurd idea. If their motive is to generate revenue from parking fees, then it is condemnable. This order must be withdrawn,” said Binayak Dasmohapatra, a servitor.When contacted, Puri district collector and deputy chief administrator of SJTA, Dibya Jyoti Parida, said, “We will reconsider and take a final decision soon.”