Bhubaneswar, Sep 15 - The Jagannath temple in Puri, one of the most revered Hindu shrines, could soon become disabled friendly. Temple authorities are planning to allow wheel chair-bound devotees inside the premises, a temple official said.

'A proposal was made during a meeting earlier to make special arrangements for disabled devotees. Whether to allow wheel chairs or make other arrangements -- we will take a decision in this regard soon,' Laxmidhar Pujapanda, the temple's press relations officer, told IANS.

The 12th century temple in Puri town of Orissa, considered one of the four temples that Hindu devotees must visit during their lifetime, has a strict entry code. The entry of non-Hindus or people wearing caps and leather belts is strictly prohibited.

A disabled person cannot go into the temple on a wheelchair. But the temple authorities do allow entry to disabled, old and paralyzed people with the help of family members and temple servitors. However, some organisations working for the disabled have demanded that wheel chair-bound devotees be allowed entry.

'The Lord (Jagannath) himself is limbless. But the anomaly is that wheel chair-bound limbless devotees can't have access to the Lord,' said Ravi Tripathy, a handicapped and disabled rights activist.