Tourists miffed as road in front of Puri Srimandir closed 

Tourists and visitors in pilgrim city of Puri on Friday experienced a lot of difficulties because of the road in front of the Lions’ Gate of Srimandir being closed for the ongoing Srimandir Heritage Corridor Project (Srimandir Parikrama Prakalpa).

The stretch between the temple administration’s office and the Lions’ Gate has been closed to facilitate workers to carry out construction work under the Srimandir Heritage Corridor Project. Shops along this road have been closed down. Because of this, tourists and local people coming to the grand road, temple or hospital are experiencing problems. 

“I was going to the temple. But I found the road in front of the temple closed. I don’t know the reason why the road has been closed,” said a miffed local woman resident. 

Expressing dissatisfaction, another Puri resident said, “We welcome the construction work. But there should have been at least a small passage for the tourists coming from different parts of the world. As they are not acquainted with the roads in Puri, they are facing trouble while going to the temple.”

When contacted, superintendent engineer of Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation (OBCC), Prabhat Kumar Panigrahi said, “We are constructing a storm water drain. This apart, HT, LT and ELB lines will be laid out. This is why we have barricaded the stretch from Dola bedi to the palace. We will complete the construction work within 10 days so that hardship of visitors is less.”

He also denied any problem arising out of this drain during the car festival.

(Reported by Madhusudan Mishra from Puri, OTV)