BHUBANESWAR: BJP MPs from Odisha have urged the Centre to include Sri Jagannath Temple at Puri and the Konark Sun Temple in the list of ‘iconic tourist sites’.
“As you are aware, Odisha is an ancient land of wonderful cultural heritage including remarkable craftsmanship amongst which Sun Temple in Konark and Jagannath Temple in Puri are holiest pilgrimage and attractive tourist destinations due to their religious, cultural and architectural importance,” the MPs said in a letter to Union Minister of State for Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel.
The MPs said, “The matchless mix of heritage and spirituality makes the Jagannath Temple and Sun Temple truly iconic among India’s greatest tourist attraction places.” Inclusion of the two sites in the iconic list will be a moment of great pride for the people of Odisha, they said. The MPs sought Patel’s personal intervention for inclusion of the two destinations in the Iconic Tourist Sites Development Project with suitable budgetary provisions for their comprehensive development.
Those who signed the letter included Union Minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Aparajita Sarangi, Nitesh Gangdeb, Sangeeta Singhdeo, former Union Minister Jual Oram (all Lok Sabha Members) and Rajya Sabha Member Aswini Vaishnav.
The letter said in recent years, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have offered prayers at Sri Jagannath Temple. This apart, Puri is also one for the four ‘dhams’ of Hindus.
Host of the world-famous Rath Yatra, the Puri Jagannath Temple is a unifying beacon of Odisha’s quintessential Jagannath worship, they said. In the last five years, the tourism potential of the shrine has been further enhanced by development of the temple complex.
The Sun Temple at Konark built by legendary King of Kalinga Narasingha Deva I in the 13th century is a UNESCO world heritage site and widely considered as the zenith of medieval Odishan architecture, the MPs said and added that its contemporary carvings and motifs are unparalleled in craftsmanship and showcase the glory and might of Kalinga empire.
Earlier, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan had written letters to Patel requesting him to include the two places in the list of iconic tourist sites.