Final plan of Puri corridor likely by 1st week of April

Bhubaneswar: The final architectural plan of the ambitious heritage corridor project around the Puri Jagannath Temple is expected to be ready by April first week with focus on the Kalinga style of architecture.
Eminent personalities like Puri King Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb, noted sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra, retired bureaucrat and researcher Subash Pani and servitors suggested necessary changes in the draft plan as Bengaluru-based Bhumiputra Architecture Firm made presentation on the draft plan at a meeting here.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Mohapatra said there is a need to focus more on Kalinga architecture while preparing the final plan of the mega project.
State works secretary and Jagannath Temple chief administrator Krishan Kumar said there will be more consultation with people associated with the Jagannath culture before preparing the final plan.
Some of the key issues discussed in the meeting include streamlining the traffic movement in the streets/localities surrounding the shrine, developing the Ratha Khala where chariots of the deities are made, developing the ritual paths from the shrine to other religious places and developing facilities like advanced queue management system, cloakrooms, toilets, brief resting facility en route and provision for washing feet, said Kumar.
On Mohapatra’s concern over lack of Kalinga architecture in the draft plan, the works secretary said, “We have emphasized on Kalinga architecture in the draft plan. Since the plan is on the consultation stage, we have requested Mohapatra to guide the architecture team to ensure that Kalinga architecture is reflected in the final plan.”
Major suggestions made by the Puri King include special arrangement for Sankirtan and to perform other rituals within the heritage corridor.
Similarly, the state government and temple administration have also planned to develop facilities through which over 5,000 people can partake of Mahaprasad at a time.
“The corridor is being planned keeping in mind the Jagannath culture and tradition of Shrikshetra (Puri). Steps are being taken to popularise the culture across the globe,” said the Puri King, who chaired the meeting.
The state government plans to spend around Rs 800 crore for development of the heritage corridor around the 12th century shrine and it is one of the top priority of the state government at present. The project is targeted to be completed in two years.