Draft plan of Puri heritage corridor to be finalised soon

Bhubaneswar: The pilgrim town of Puri will soon get a new look with the Odisha government all set to finalise the draft architectural plan of Shree Jagannath Heritage Corridor Project.

The announcement was made by Gajapati Maharaj of Puri Dibyasingha Deb after presiding over a meeting with all stakeholders of the Puri Heritage Corridor Project here on Tuesday.

“Measures are being taken to spread the tradition and glory of the pilgrim town across the globe. The firm that was awarded the project work has already initiated steps in this regard,” he said.

Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Krishan Kumar said the blueprint of the ambitious project will be finalised within the first week of April.

Mentioning that focus will be on four aspects, the SJTA chief said, the temple administration has received feedback from people about the project through e-mail.

He said plans are being made to facilitate smooth movement of people from one lane to another near the periphery of the temple.

This apart, there will be no change in the tradition of ‘Rath Yatra,’ and construction of the chariots will be held as usual at the ‘Ratha Khala’ on Grand Road near the temple.

Similarly, there will be adequate space for conducting Lord Jagannath’s famous ‘Chandan Yatra’ and other rituals held outside the temple.

He said, the suggestions of the Gajapati Maharaj to make provisions for organising Sankitrtan (group prayer) and sitting arrangements for 5,000 people at Anand Bazar will find a place in the final plan.

Arrangements will also be made for devotees to wash their hands and feet before entering the 12th-century shine in Puri.