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Following a meeting of the Sri Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, the temple's chief administrator Krishan Kumar on Thursday said that a 'Srimandir Gurukul' will be set up with the Puri Gajapati as its president.
As per reports, the Gurukul will be set up on a 17-acre plot and the Odisha government will bear all the expenses for its establishment, said Kumar.
"A Srimandir Adarsh Gurukul Society will be formed which will run the Gurukul. We had earlier received some money from the Supreme Court to set up the Gurukul. The money will be used for the purpose," said Kumar.
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Moreover, the servitors of Puri Srimandir will get free houses. "We have identified 8 acre of land for that purpose and each family will get plot of around 600 sq ft and Rs 2 lakh for constriction of house," he said.
He said the servitors can spend more from their pocket if they want any extension of the house. "Servitors whose financial condition is not so good will get the benefit and those who are engaged in the daily rituals of the Puri Srimandir will be given priority," said the chief administrator.
Applications will be sought from the servitors for the same and later they will be allotted the plots. In the first phases, 400 servitors are likely to get houses, he informed.
Kumar further said that devotees who were earlier depositing a certain amount for wheels and other parts of the chariots of the Holy Trinity after Rath Yatra, can now get them for free.
"A sub-committee will be formed to decide which individual or organisation will get the wheels and other parts of the chariots. The selection will be made through lottery system in case there are more interested applicants," informed Kumar.
On the other hand, a 5-year restoration plan for the Puri Srimandir will soon be sought from the Archeological Survey of India (ASI).
While the ASI and the Srimandir administration will take mutual decisions regarding the restoration work, the State government will bear the extra expenses incurred in the restoration works, if needed, he said.
