Cuttack: The Puri Jagannath temple administration on Tuesday informed Orissa High Court that the date, from which the devotees could have darshan of the deities from Jagmohan (prayer hall), could be fixed only after the temple managing committee was reconstituted.

On March 6, the high court asked the temple administration to clear the air over opening of the 12th century shrine's prayer hall for the public by March 13.

The court expected the administration to file an affidavit as to by what time it could open the Jagmohan for the public.

In an affidavit filed on Tuesday, Puri Jagannath temple executive engineer (civil) B. Ashis Kumar Subudhi said: "The matter relating to allowing deities to have darshan of the Lord from the Jagmohan is to be discussed in the managing committee after reconstitution of the same."

With the former king of Puri Dibyasingha Deb as the chairman, the managing committee has 17 other members. While eight are ex-officio members, the rest ten are nominated by the government for a term of three years. The terms of the members, nominated on July 22, 2014, expired on July 21, 2017. But, the government has not yet nominated new members of the managing committee.