By Debi Mohanty
Months after he began his fth consecutive innings as Odisha Chief Minister in 2019,
when Naveen Patnaik announced his ambitious plan to develop Puri, the abode of
Lord Jagannath, into a world heritage city, a majority of the Odias were happy.
Old, historical mutts, mostly in dilapidated condition, and other structures located
within a radius of 75 metres around the main temple, Shri Mandir were razed to the
ground without much resistance, thanks to the government’s mouth-watering
rehabilitation and resettlement package.
In February this year, the state Assembly unanimously passed the resolution for the
development of the Shree Jagannath Temple under the “Shreemandira Parikrama
Yojana” or the Jagannath Temple Heritage Corridor Plan, which aims at enhanced
security of the 12th century shrine, better amenities for devotees and creation of a
spiritual ambience.
While moving the resolution in virtual mode, Naveen said, “The greatest identity of
Odia community is Lord Jagannath, our history, culture, traditions and our beliefs are
all based on the Lord. He is the symbol of Odia esteem.”
This story first appeared on thefederal.com