Jagannath Temple Heritage Corridor inauguration: Know the key features of the project enhancing beauty around Jagannath Temple

New Delhi: The residents of Odisha are diving deep into the ocean of happiness and festivity as the much-awaited Srimandir Parikrama Project (SPP), also known as the Jagannath Temple heritage corridor project, is all set to be open to the public on Wednesday, January 17. As a prelude to the inauguration of the project, the three-day-long Maha Yajna began on Makar Sankranti on January 15. While devotees throng to the town to witness the grand inauguration of the project, let’s take a look at some key details of the project.

Who has constructed the Jagannath Temple heritage corridor project? The long-awaited corridor project has been developed by the Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation (OBCC), which handed over the project to the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) upon its completion. The inauguration of the corridor comes just five days ahead of the consecration ceremony of the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The inauguration of the corridor will be conducted by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Srimandir Parikrama Project: Aims and objectives of the corridor The primary goal of the project is to enhance the visual appeal and surroundings of the iconic Jagannath Temple, dedicated to Lord Jagannath, who is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, one of the trinity of supreme divinity in Hinduism. In a bid to improve the visual appearance of the surrounding of the ancient temple, the area within the 75-meter corridor of the Jagannath temple’s perimeter wall has been developed without disrupting the natural beauty of the temple. Srimandir Parikrama Project: Development cost The Jagannath Temple heritage corridor project has been developed with an investment of around Rs 3,700 crore.

The project includes several sub-projects, such as the redevelopment of the SJTA building, Jagannath cultural center, Shree Setu, Srimandir reception centre and Badadanda heritage, among others. Moreover, the development of the beachfront and the revival of Puri Lake, and Musa River are also part of the corridor development project. To ensure world-class facilities for the devotees visiting the temple, the government has focused on the development of several important infrastructures, such as an enhanced parking area, toilets, clock rooms, a new road for pilgrim movement, electrical work, and more.

Arrangements for hassle free movement of visitors The four-lane Shree Setu (trumpet bridge) is 2. 3 kilometers long and has been developed with an investment of Rs 200 crore. Constructed with the aim of avoiding traffic inside Puri, the setu will provide direct access to visitors.

In addition to the Shree Setu, a 630-meter-long road (Shree Danda) has also been constructed with an investment of Rs 90 crore. Shree Danda will interlink the multi-level car parking inside Jagannath Ballav pilgrim center to Dolabedi, bypassing the Bada Danda (Grand Road). Hurdles faced by the project Though the project was conceived in 2016 and announced in December 2019, it got delayed due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown across the nation.

Additionally, the project also missed its time because of the issuance of draft by-laws by the National Monuments Authority (NMA) for the temple in January 2021 that restricted any development work within a 100-metre radius of the century-old temple. January 17: Holiday In view of the grand inauguration of the newly developed Shree Jagannath Parikrama project in Puri, the Odisha government has declared January 17 as a public holiday in the state. As per the declaration, schools, colleges and all state government offices will remain closed on this day.

In view of the inauguration, the stretch from the Yajna Mandapa towards all four Dwaras (doors) of Srimandir has been decorated with flowers and Bada Danda has been adorned with ‘Jhoti Chita’ (traditional Odia art). The religious heads from 90 religious institutions in India and Nepal, along with the four Shankaracharyas, have been invited by the government of Odisha to participate in the inauguration. .