SJTA presents Rs 237.58 crore Jagannath temple budget

The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has presented an annual budget of Rs 237.58 crore for 2022-23 financial which is Rs 47.24 crore more than the previous 2021-22 fiscal.

The budget was presented at the meeting of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee chaired by Gajapati Maharaja of Puri Dibyasingha Deb. The budget, however, could not be passed in the meeting on Friday and would be taken up for approval at the next meeting on April 25, sources said.

The 2022-23 temple budget is said to be a revenue surplus as the shrine’s income stands at Rs 237.58 crore against the estimated expenditure of Rs 203.96 crore. There will be a revenue surplus of Rs 33.26 crore, sources said.

While the 12th-century shrine will receive the highest Rs 101.46 crore from the state government as a grant, it will generate Rs 60 crore as compensation from land acquisition.

Similarly, the temple will spend an estimated Rs 14.76 crore on the conduct of the annual Ratha Jatra and Snana Purnima festivals. Another Rs 29.22 crore is to be spent on the salary of SJTA employees while daily expenditure on servitors for rituals is estimated to be Rs 22.14 crore.

In 2021-22, the managing committee had approved a budget of Rs 190.26-crore.

Meanwhile, the meeting also decided to open the western gate of the Jagannath temple for the entry of devotees into the shrine along with the main Lion’s Gate in the east. The devotees can exit from the north and south gates, informed Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Vir Vikram Yadav.

Yadav said the decision has been taken as construction of chariots for the annual Rath Yatra will start soon.

The Niti Sub Committee’s decision for Chandan Yatra and other rituals of Jagannath temple was also approved at the meeting.

Puri Collector Samarth Verma said the earlier decision on allowing participation of devotees for Chandan Yatra of the temple’s deities stands unchanged.

Other amenities like shade arrangements for devotees on the Grand Road will be shifted to Pashima Dwara (western gate) as the construction of chariots for the annual Rath Yatra will start soon.