Puri, January 17: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday dedicated the Rs 800-crore Shree Mandir Parikrama Prakalpa or Shree Mandir Heritage Corridor Project to the people amid bhajan, sankitarn and yajna in the presence of a host of dignitaries in the pilgrim town.
Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb, the first servitor of Lord Jagannath, offers purnahuti to the Maha Yajna after CM inaugurated the project. The pilgrim town was adorned with flowers, lights, and graffiti for the mega event.
The project includes parking areas, Shree Setu (a bridge), Shree Danda (a road), running parallel to Bada Danda to ease pilgrim movement, pilgrimage centre, restroom facilities, cloakrooms, toilets and other amenities for visitors in and around the Jagannath temple.
The priests, sadhus and other delegates along with the Chief Minister went around the Parikrma around the temple.
Many sadhus from 90 shrines and religious institutions across the country witnessed the mega event. Special auditorium fitted with large digital screens was set up on the parikrama for 900 guests.
The holy town was under a tight security blanket with the deployment of 90 platoons (1 platoon comprising 30 personnel) of police force. Apart from CCTV surveillance, the police had engaged bomb disposal teams, anti-sabotage teams, and dog squads to ensure the safety of the area.
The State Government announced Wednesday as a public holiday to facilitate people to participate in the inauguration. Government offices, schools, and colleges across the State also remained closed while private offices and institutions will ensure live streaming of the event for their employees and students.
