Puri: The Shri Mandir Parikrama Project in Puri has reached completion, with the newly constructed temple corridor set to be inaugurated a week prior to the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The inauguration ceremony for the Jagannath Temple Corridor is scheduled to take place from January 15th to 17th, 2024. Invitations have been extended to Char Dham temples and over 1000 other Hindu shrines in the country for this significant event.
In a global outreach, major Hindu temples worldwide and even the King of Nepal have received invitations. The Odisha government, which spearheaded the project with a cost of Rs 943 crores, has curated an exclusive guest list, including prominent VIPs, corporate leaders, and celebrities for the grand unveiling in Puri. The Jagannath Temple Corridor, also known as the Shri Mandir Parikrama Project, has been developed at a cost of ₹943 crore. It features a green buffer zone of 7 meters and a pedestrian way of 10 meters, designed to facilitate the seamless circumambulation of the temple by devotees.
Ranjan Kumar Das, the chief administrator of the temple, stated, "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.”
The Shri Mandir Parikrama Project aims to modernize the rectangular corridor surrounding the 12th-century Jagannath Temple into a contemporary pilgrim center, equipped with state-of-the-art amenities. These include a queue management system for 6,000 devotees, baggage screening facilities, a cloakroom for nearly 4,000 families, provisions for drinking water, restroom facilities, hand/foot washing areas, information-cum-donation kiosks, shelter pavilions, multi-level car parking, a dedicated lane for shuttles and emergency vehicles, an integrated command and control center, and a souvenir shop.
Lokarpan Yajna is scheduled to be performed from January 15th to 17th, 2024, with Vedic recitations 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 finalized. Uniform painting is underway for prominent structures along the three-kilometer-long Grand Road connecting the Jagannath Temple and Mausima Temple. Vibrant lighting will adorn all temples and subsidiary shrines.
Officials have confirmed the completion of all civil works for the Shri Mandir Parikrama Project, with landscaping tasks expected to conclude by the end of the calendar year. Land acquisition for the project began in November 2019, involving over 600 residents relinquishing 15.64 acres for the establishment of a security zone. The foundation stone for the project was laid by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in November 2021, aiming to transform the 75-meter corridor along the boundary wall of the Jagannath Temple into a modern pilgrim center with contemporary amenities.
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