Jagannth Temple submits Rs 134 cr project to attract tourists

Puri, Jun 9 (UNI) The Jagannath Temple has submitted a Rs 135 crore project before the Urban Renewable Mission(URM) for providing better civic amenities to thousands of tourists as well as devotees visiting the holy city every day.

According to Jagannath temple Chief Administrator S C Mohapatra a night shelter for 25,000 people with all civic amenities, a multi- storied parking place for vehicles along the Grand Road and development of Jagannath Ballav, the traditional garden of temple were some of the proposals submitted before the URM.

This apart, a museum, a library and a conference arena for religious discourses would be set up for which experts from the Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Kharagpur have been asked to prepare a comprehensive master plan for the temple and city.

Mr Mohapatra indicated that the temple administration would take over the civic affairs of the city on the line of the Tirupati Balaji temple managing the city.

He said steps were being taken to illuminate the Grand Road and three holy ponds such as Swetganga, Markand and the Narendra tanks and beautify the surroundings.

The temple management if necessary would take over the defunct municipality dispensary located near the temple but with the consent of the local people. The dispensary, he said, would be transformed into a modern hospital.

He said the temple would construct a two multistoried A/C guest houses to accommodate pilgrims on the top two floors while other floors would be used as dormitory.

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