Puri Srimandir Parikrama Project dedicated to public

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday dedicated the much-awaited Srimandir Parikrama Project to the public.

Patnaik and Puri King Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb broke open coconuts in front of the Parikrama plaque to dedicate the project to people.

Puri Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb arrived at the 'Maha Yajna' place ahead of the inauguration of the Parikrama project. He performed the 'Purnahuti' to conclude the Yajna.

Yajna At Parikrama Project

With the ‘Purnahuti’, Mandal Pujan rituals for ‘Maha Yajna’, the precursor to the inauguration ceremony of Srimandir Parikrama Prakalpa, in Odisha’s pilgrim town of Puri, ended on Wednesday.

All government offices, schools, and colleges of the state remained closed today. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) had invited representatives from 90 religious shrines and institutions across the country to attend the function.

Yajna At Parikrama Project

The project was conceived in 2016 and announced in December 2019. It got delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the issuance of draft by-laws by the National Monuments Authority (NMA) for the temple in January 2021 that prohibited any construction work within a 100-metre periphery of the temple.

Srimandir Parikrama Marg

The state government has invested in constructing a 1.5 km-long 4-lane Shree Setu (trumpet bridge) for Rs 200 crore to provide direct access to tourists, aiming to avoid traffic congestion inside Puri.

Additionally, a 630-meter-long road (Shree Danda) costing Rs 90 crore is being constructed. It connects the multi-level car parking inside Jagannath Ballav pilgrim center to Dolabedi, bypassing the Bada Danda (Grand Road).