BALASORE: Delay in restoration and beautification of one of Odisha’s prominent Shaivite shrines, the Chandaneswar temple, located in Bhograi block of Balasore district, has fuelled resentment among devotees.
The shrine lacks basic facilities like drinking water and parking space for devotees. Purna Chandra Das, a local said, no development work has been done at the temple in the last almost three years. Another local, Ananta Kumar Pradhan said renovation of Nila Pokhari, construction of eight bathroom-cum-toilets, a parking space and drinking water projects are yet to be completed at the shrine.
The works that included replacement of the four doors of the shrine’s sanctum sanctorum, were taken up in 2019. He said the temple’s roof and sanctum sanctorum have developed cracks and officials concerned along with the temple trust board seem oblivious to it.
Locals said basing on the temple trust board’s suggestions, the Tourism department had sanctioned `3.5 crore for the project which is far from over. The trust board was formed in 1981 to manage the shrine’s affairs and Bhograi tehsildar Kamalakanta Panda is its present executive officer.
Chandaneswar is one of the holiest religious spots of North Odisha where ‘Chadak Mela’, an important festival of the region is organised during the month of Chaitra every year. This apart, lakhs of Bol Bom devotees throng the shrine and offer holy water to the Shiva Lingam during the holy month of Shravan. Contacted, Panda said steps will be taken to expedite the project to beautify and restore the temple.