Puri heritage corridor project to open to the public on January 17: SJTMC

Puri: Gajapati Maharaja of Puri, Divyasingha Deb Friday said the much awaited Puri Herritage Corridor (Srimandir Parikrama) will be dedicated to the devotees on January 17, 2024.

Deb, who is the chief religious functionary of the famed temple besides being the chairman of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, visited the spot earlier in the day. Deb, who is considered the first servitor of the sibling deities Lord Jagannath, Goddess Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra, later said, “Many of the works are nearing completion and it will be open to the public on January 17, 2023.

A special puja and ‘havan' will be organised on the occasion.” Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Ranjan Kumar Das said the Parikrama project will be inaugurated in a lavish programme with the help of the district administration. He said a grand puja will be held for about five days on the occasion and is likely to be witnessed by large number of people from here and abroad. The temple's ritual sub-committee will take a final decision on the proposed grand puja on Friday evening, Das said.

“The work of the Sree Setu (a bridge project) is in its last legs. I think it will be completed before the Corridor Project inauguration, around December 15. However, the Jagannathballav Parking project may get delayed a bit. But we are planning to complete it before February next year,” Das said. The Puri Heritage Corridor Project was first conceived in 2016 and was unveiled in December 2019 with the objective to transform the pilgrim town into an place of heritage of international importance.

The Rs 800 crore project includes redeveloping major portions of the town and in the vicinity of the temple for visitors and tourists while creating an unobstructed 75-metre corridor around the Meghanada Pacheri (the outer wall of the 12th-century shrine). The amenities, to be available within 55 m radius of the temple broundary wall, include six toilets and three shelter pavilions in the south, north and west directions of the temple. A 6,000 capacity Srimandir reception centre, Jagannath cultural centre, including Raghunandan library, Badadanda heritage streetscape, Jagannath Ballav pilgrim centre, multilevel car and other amenities. Apart from the heritage corridor project, the town will also have Pramoda Udyan (enjoyment park).