Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik takes part in rituals to inaugurate Shreemandir Parikrama project in Puri

Puri (Odisha) [India], January 17 (ANI): Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and erstwhile king of Puri, Gajapati Dibyasingha Deba took part in rituals to inaugurate the Shreemandir Parikrama project in Puri on Wednesday.
The Shreemandir Parikrama project aims to enhance the visual appeal and surroundings of the iconic Jagannath Temple. It comes just five days ahead of the Ram temple coronation.
The Chief Minister will be on a 'Pradakshina' around the temple along the saints and other dignitaries, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Ranjan Kumar Das said.
"Then at 2:30 pm the meeting will start at the designated place. The CM will felicitate the people involved in the project. Thereafter at 3 pm the Chief Minister will depart for Bhubaneshwar. The public will be allowed to enter the Parikrama after 3 pm," he added.
Earlier in the day, Puri District Collector Samarth Verma said that all arrangements are in place and the Parikrama Project is complete and will be open to the public for viewing after the inauguration. Meanwhile, devotees thronged Lord Jagannath Temple for 'Darshan' ahead of the inauguration ceremony.
"All the arrangements are in place. The Parikrama Project which is going to be inaugurated today is complete in all aspects. Apart from that we are also making the Shree Marg, Shree Setu and the Jagannath Ballabh parking centre functional....'Darshan' is already going on smoothly. There is no problem of people having darshan of Lord Jagannath and Mahaprasad sevan. Post the inauguration, the entire Parikrama will be open to the public for viewing," Puri District Collector Samarth Verma said speaking to ANI.
Speaking about the security arrangements in place at the temple, Puri Inspector-General (IG) of Police Ashish Kumar Singh said, "All the police arrangements which we had planned, have been implemented. Now, the guests are coming, and they are being properly received by us and our administration and are being settled in the auditorium. If any of the guests want to have 'Darshan', then we are also facilitating that..."
"The general devotees are also having normal 'Darshan'...There are approximately 1000-1200 guests and we have made arrangements for them... The 'Darshan' for the general public is normal. There will only be a 20-25 minute break when the procession will start...," the IG added.
The Jagannath Heritage Corridor Project of Lord Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Puri has been completed by the Odisha Bridge & Construction Corporation (OBCC) and handed over to the temple administration Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA).
The Heritage project includes parking places, Shree Setu (a bridge), pilgrimage centres, a new road to facilitate the movement of pilgrims, toilets for male, and female devotees and servitors, clock rooms and electrical work with other visitors' amenities.
Mahaprabhu Shri Jagannath, along with sister Devi Subhadra and elder brother Mahaprabhu Shri Balabhadra, are worshipped in Puri (the Purusottama Kshetra). Though no changes have been made in the temple, the area within the 75-metre corridor of the boundary wall of the Jagannath temple has been developed.
Jagannath Temple is one of the four dhammas that every Hindu is advised to visit. (ANI)