Odisha CM to unveil Heritage Corridor Project on January 17
The state government is planning a grand five-day ceremony to mark the unveiling of the project.
The ambitious Srimandir Parikrama project of the Odisha government will be dedicated to the public by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on January 17. The state government is planning a grand five-day ceremony to mark the unveiling of the project.
The launch date of the project was announced by Puri King Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb on Friday after a review meeting. He said the heritage corridor project is nearing completion and details of the inaugural function will be finalised at the meeting of the temple managing committee on Saturday. Once the dedicated corridor is inaugurated, he said, devotees will be able to reach the Meghanada Pacheri without any hassles.
SJTA chief administrator Ranjan Kumar Das said the public dedication ceremony of the project will attract devotees from India and abroad. “Havan and puja for the inauguration will continue for several days. A decision on the starting date of the rituals will be taken in the ritual sub-committee meeting,” he added.
As part of the project, arrangements have been made for cloak and restrooms along with a vehicle parking place. Shops, food courts and an auditorium for cultural programmes are nearing completion. The Rs 800 crore project includes the re-development of the vicinity of the temple for visitors and tourists while creating an unobstructed 75-metre corridor around the outer wall of the 12th-century shrine.
A reception centre with a capacity to accommodate 6,000 people, a cultural centre including Raghunandan library, Badadanda heritage streetscape, Jagannath Ballav pilgrim centre, multilevel car and other amenities will also come up as part of the project. The chief minister laid the foundation stone for the project on November 24, 2021.