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Even as consecration of the Sri Ram Temple in Ayodhya is attracting national attention, an important redevelopment project around the Sri Jagannatha Temple in Puri is all set for inauguration by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on January 17.
The ₹800 crore project, work on which started in 2019, involved building a 75-metre heritage corridor around the 12th century temple of Sri Jagannatha. The immediate area around the temple was congested with commercial and residential buildings, and 19 different ‘mathas’ set up hundreds of years ago. The narrow lanes and by-lanes presented a security hazard apart from causing hardship to pilgrims in moving around the temple.
The precincts of the temple after construction of the parikrama presents a very different look now with wide open spaces all around.
Green zone
The parikrama has a seven-metre wide green buffer zone that protects the outer walls of the temple followed by a ten-metre wide inner ‘pradakshina’ path. The outer pradakshina comprises of landscape zones, pilgrim amenities, and emergency service lanes.
About 4.88 acres of private land around the temple was acquired with generous compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement grants. Of the project cost of ₹800 crore, ₹500 crore was only to compensate and resettle the displace residents, commercial shops, lodges and mathas.
There are also other development projects that are set to be inaugurated by Patnaik on January 17, including a 2.3-km long four-lane road that will connect the national highway into Puri to the multi-level car parking lot inside the town. Pilgrims can directly reach the Bada Danda or Grand Road in front of the temple without entering Puri town.
The Parikrama project was spearheaded by V. K. Pandian, chairman of 5T and Nabin Odisha, known for his proximity to the chief minister.
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