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Bhubaneswar: In a bid to ensure a smooth 'Nabakalebara' festival of Lord Jagannath in 2015, Odisha government on Tuesday decided to spend Rs 1,000 crore for the infrastructure development of Puri and its adjoining areas, official sources said.
This was decided at a high level meeting presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here. "We have decided to spend Rs 1,000 crore for development of infrastructure before the Nabakalebara festival of Lord Jagannath," Patnaik told reporters after the meeting.
"Nabakalebara" festival is the event when the wooden bodies of the trinity - Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath - are changed, generally done in every 12 years. But, there are exceptions. Last time, the festival was held in 1996, said an official of Sri Jagannath Temple Administration.
Expecting congregation of above 15 lakh visitors in the 2015 festival, the state government has decided to improve hospitals, drinking water facilities, connecting roads, transportation in Puri. The Indian Ralway has also been requested to complete its rail line doubling work between Khurda Road to Puri before December 2014, an official said.
