BHUBANESWAR: As part of the Srimandir decongestion plans, a dedicated ‘Annakhetra’ will be created outside Shree Jagannath temple in Puri for devotees to partake Mahaprasad after purchasing it from Ananda Bazaar.
Head of the temple’s cultural advisory board and Puri king Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb informed this after reviewing the ongoing Srimandir Parikrama Prakalpa and Gundicha temple development works on Thursday.
He said while devotees can purchase Mahaprasad from Ananda Bazaar, a designated space will be created outside the shrine’s Uttara Dwara where people can sit down and partake it. “When the Ananda Bazaar was created, the devotees’ count was much less. Today, the footfall at Ananda Bazaar has increased manifold which is leading to overcrowding. This facility will address the problems faced by devotees at Ananda Bazaar and provide them a spacious dining zone. The proposal of setting up an Annakhetra will be taken up with the government soon,” he said.
Chief administrator Arabinda Padhee said the Gundicha temple’s ‘rosaghara’ will also undergo complete revamp. “We have decided to begin the work immediately after this year’s Niladri Bije so that it is completed by next year’s Rath Yatra,” Padhee said.
The board members also went round the Parikrama around the Srimandir and visited the Jagannath Ballav Pramod Udyan, site for Jagannath Ballav Pilgrim Centre, Shree Jagannath Cultural Centre and Raghunandan Library and Srimandir office. The Shree Jagannath Cultural Centre and Raghunandan Library are two of the most important and biggest components of the Parikrama project, which are pending construction.
The Gajapati said Srimandir office will be shifted to a new location (area near Bagala Dharmasala and Narendra Mohala) within the regulatory zone of Srimandir, and the existing site will be used to set up another reception centre where people can keep their belongings and wait before entering the shrine.
“The Odisha Bridge & Construction Corporation Limited which is executing the Parikrama project, has been instructed to finish the pending works of Pramod Udyan and Jagannath Ballav Parking Centre on time. The development of Pramod Udyan, which is considered the pleasure garden of Lord Jagannath, will be done as per the ancient scriptures,” Padhee said.
Besides, an SOP will be framed to consider what all religious activities can be conducted by people around the Srimandir’s Parikrama.