Puri heritage project timed well for polls
In January next year, when the country would be in the grip of the promotion surrounding the Ram temple inauguration in Ayodhya, Odisha would be witnessing its own pageant. On January 17, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is set to dedicate the Srimandir Parikrama project that entails a complete transformation of the periphery of the Jagannath temple in Puri.
Built at an estimated Rs 940 crore, the much-awaited Shri Jagannath Heritage Corridor (SJHC) project seeks to redefine the experience of devotees visiting the 12th century shrine with the installation of new infrastructure that would also provide a perimeter for the structure’s safety and security. One of the grandest projects to be announced by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government before the 2019 elections, the heritage corridor’s unveiling is expected to be a spectacle spanning days, complete with religious rituals in the presence of guests from around the world. The Patnaik government has timed it well to hit the right chord with constituents just months before the general elections. In the heat of the battle between BJD and its principal opponent BJP, it is not lost on anyone that the project will strike at the heart of the saffron party’s core socio-political message.
For Puri, it would be a moment of monumental change. The pilgrimage town drew over 21 lakh tourists last year; the number of day visitors, who mostly come from far-flung areas of the country for a glimpse of the Holy Trinity, stood at a staggering 1.5 crore. The SJHC will improve on some key amenities provided to these teeming crores of devotees. The project will also be a promise well kept by Patnaik, who had promised to turn Puri into a world-class heritage city when he set about his Augmentation of Basic Amenities and Development of Heritage and Architecture scheme four years back.
At Rs 4,224 crore, it encompasses major infrastructure such as new roads, bridges, accommodation for pilgrims, car parking facilities and a redevelopment of some of the ancient structures. The government is also building a new international airport in the seaside town, which could transform the number and types of tourists visiting. By delivering the SJHC in time, it is anyone’s guess who would take a leap ahead in the perception battle.