BHUBANESWAR/BERHAMPUR: In a bid to boost spiritual tourism in Odisha, the government had decided to establish a corridor to enhance connectivity to all the eight prominent Shakti Peethas across the state.
This was announced by deputy chief minister Pravati Parida during her visit to Tara Tarini temple in Ganjam district on Tuesday. At least three shrines in the proposed Shakti Peetha corridor are in Ganjam.
The corridor will begin from Biraja temple in Jajpur and include Maa Mangala temple in Kakatpur, Maa Bhagabati temple in Banapur, Maa Ugratara temple in Khurda, Narayani, Maa Bhairavi and Tara Tarini temples in Ganjam, besides Kalijai temple in Chilika lake, informed Parida who also holds the Tourism portfolio.
“The state government will make a formal announcement about the corridor soon. The corridor project is likely to be completed in two years,” she said. The corridor will include helicopter facilities for the convenience of devotees.
While Ganjam has received over Rs 60 crore for development of tourist amenities at all its shrines and Taptapani springs, similar funds will be sanctioned for the purpose at all the other Shakti Peethas too, she said.
Odisha’s primary tourism draw so far has been Shri Jagannath temple at Puri, one of the most revered pilgrimage destinations in India. Tourists coming to the state have been mostly concentrated in Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark. Officials of the Tourism department said new religious corridors will further enhance the spiritual experience of tourists.
In another development, the Tourism department has decided to develop key destinations like Deomali, Dhauli, Chilika, Khandagiri-Udaygiri, Khiching, Satkosia and Similipal in this financial year through integrated master planning. These destinations will get state-of-the-art infrastructure and niche products to strengthen tourism activities.
Meanwhile, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said the Shri Jagannath Temple Managing Committee will be formed within a week and the ‘dhadi darshan’ system implemented in Srimandir by the end of this month.
Harichandan had announced the ‘dhadi darshan’ system in December last year. However, it had to be postponed twice because in absence of a new managing committee, the decision to relocate ‘hundi’ from the Natya Mandap for implementation of ‘dhadi’ system, could not be taken.
The wooden structures and ramps required for ‘dhadi darshan’ inside the Natya Mandap will be installed after the ‘hundi’ is removed from the present spot. The last temple managing committee’s tenure expired in August last year.
Apart from Harichandan, Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena and Animal Resources Development Minister Gokulananda Mallick accompanied Parida to attend the Chaitra Yatra of Goddess Tara Tarini in Purushottampur block of Ganjam.
Religious Connect
Govt to make a formal announcement about the corridor soon
Corridor project likely to be completed in two years
The project to include helicopter facilities for convenience of devotees
New religious corridors to further enhance spiritual experience of tourists