The inauguration of the ‘Sreemandir Parikrama Prakalpa,’ the temple heritage corridor project at the Lord Jagannath temple in Puri, will take place on 17th January, days ahead of Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha in Ayodhya. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has invited representatives from 90 religious shrines and institutions nationwide to attend the mega ceremony on 17th January.
The rituals started on Friday (12th January) initiated by Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb at his palace, ‘Sri Nahar.’ The Maharaja of Puri extended traditional ‘Sri Nahar’ invitations which were accompanied by betel nuts, to priests for the upcoming ‘Maha Yagna’. The Maha Yagna will take place on 15th January.
Notably, Gajapati Maharaja Deb is the descendant of the dynasty that founded the Shri Jagannath Temple in the 12th century CE.
After the invitation, there will be special rituals called ‘Ankuropan’ and ‘Ankur Puja’ on Saturday (13th January), followed by ‘Yajna Adhibas’ on Sunday. On 15th January, an ‘Akhand Deepa’ (ever-burning lamp) will be placed at the site where priests will perform yagna for the next three days. As per schedule, the puja rituals will finally culminate on 17th January when Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will walk through the corridor in the afternoon and officially declare it open for devotees.
A podium is being built at Utterparswa Mutt from where the Chief Minister will address the devotees. It will be accompanied by cultural performances and the traditional blowing of conch shells.
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.
It was reported in December that invitations had also been sent to major Hindu temples across the world, and the King of Nepal. The Odisha government compiled an exclusive guest list which comprised prominent VIPs, corporate leaders, and celebrities for the grand event in Puri.
Ranjan Kumar Das, chief administrator of the temple had earlier 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.”
Five lakh devotees and VVIPs are expected to seek darshan, Security heightened
It is anticipated that the temple corridor will record a huge turnout of around five lakh devotees and the event will also be attended by high-profile guests. To provide enhanced security for the temple corridor, five-layer security arrangements have been put in place in Puri before the inauguration of the heritage corridor.
To ensure the safety of VVIPs, a large number of security personnel have been assigned. The Indian Coast Guard and Marine Police will oversee security along the seafront, and numerous lifeguards will be stationed at designated bathing points along the beach.
The IG said that more than 44 platoons of police, with one platoon comprising 30 personnel, have been deployed to provide security, maintain law and order, and manage traffic in the town from January 12 to 16.
The IG added that 45 police officers will supervise the arrangements. To ensure smooth darshan, security personnel has been deployed inside the temple and some restrictions will be imposed on the movement of traffic on that day.
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 are also there among other features.
Earlier, Ranjan Kumar Das had stated that Lokarpan Yajna will be performed from 15th January to 17th January 2024. He had said, “Recitation of Vedas will be done at the four gates of the temple. Rigveda for the eastern gate, Yajurveda for the southern, Samaveda for the western, and Atharvaveda for the northern gate have been finalised.”
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 was laid by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in November 2021.
