The Shri Mandir Parikrama Project in Puri has been completed. The newly built temple corridor will be inaugurated a week before the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The inauguration ceremony of Jagannath Temple Corridor is scheduled to be held from 15th January to 17th January 2024. Char Dham temples and over 1000 other Hindu shrines in the country will be invited for this program.
Invitations have also been sent to major Hindu temples across the world, and the King of Nepal. The project has cost Rs 943 crores. The Odisha government has compiled an exclusive guest list comprising prominent VIPs, corporate leaders, and celebrities for the upcoming grand event in Puri.
The Odisha government is set to unveil the Jagannath Temple Corridor in Puri through an elaborate ceremony. This corridor is named the Shri Mandir Parikrama Project because it serves the major purpose of seamless circumambulation of the temple by the devotees. It has been prepared at a cost of ₹ 943 crore. It has a green buffer zone of 7 meters and a pedestrian way of 10 meters.
Ranjan Kumar Das, chief administrator of the temple said, “We are inviting 857 temples in Odisha, and 180 major Indian temples including Vaishno Devi, Kamakhya Temple and Shirdi Sai temples will also be invited for the three-day inauguration event beginning from January 15. Four Holy Dhams as per Hindu religion and four other Dhams will be invited. We are sending the invitation to the King of Nepal, who enjoys special rights in Jagannath Temple. Invitations are being sent to major Hindu temples in other countries too.”
What is in the Shri Mandir Parikrama Project
The Shri Mandir Parikrama Project is designed to transform the rectangular corridor surrounding the 12th-century Jagannath Temple into a contemporary pilgrim centre, equipped with state-of-the-art amenities. These include a queue management system for 6,000 devotees, baggage screening facilities, a cloakroom capable of accommodating belongings for nearly 4,000 families, provisions for drinking water, restroom facilities, areas for hand/foot washing, information-cum-donation kiosks, shelter pavilions for shade and rest, multi-level car parking, a dedicated lane for shuttles and emergency vehicles, an integrated command and control centre, and a souvenir shop, among other features.
Details of the inauguration program
Ranjan Kumar Das informed that Lokarpan Yajna will be performed from 15th January to 17th January 2024. He said, “Recitation of Vedas will be done at the four gates of the temple. Rigveda for eastern gate, Yajurveda for southern, Samaveda for western and Atharvaveda for northern gate have been finalised.”
Uniform painting is underway for the prominent structures along the three-kilometre-long Grand Road, which links the Jagannath Temple and Mausima Temple. Additionally, all temples and subsidiary shrines will be adorned with vibrant lighting.
Officials have reported the completion of all civil works for the Shri Mandir Parikrama Project, with the remaining landscaping tasks expected to conclude by the end of this calendar year.
Project Timeline
In November 2019, the process of land acquisition for the Shri Mandir Parikrama Project commenced, involving more than 600 residents residing in the vicinity of the temple relinquishing 15.64 acres deemed crucial for the establishment of a security zone. The foundation stone for the project, aimed at transforming the area within a 75-meter corridor along the boundary wall of the Jagannath Temple into a modern pilgrim centre equipped with contemporary amenities, was laid by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in November 2021.
