The Grand opening of the Sreemandir Parikrama Prakalpa or temple heritage corridor project is scheduled for January 17 and the rituals for the same started in Puri with Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb inviting priests for the 'Maha Yagna' which will begin on January 15. The rituals for the mega event have already begun from Friday evening. The invitation will be followed by rituals 'Ankuropan' and 'Ankur Puja' on Saturday and 'Yajna Adhibas' on Sunday.
On January 15, an 'Akhand Deepa' (ever-burning lamp) will be placed at the site, where the three-day yagna will be performed by priests. The puja rituals will culminate on January 17 when Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will walk through the corridor in the afternoon, declaring it open for devotees.
The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has invited representatives from 90 religious shrines and institutions across the country to attend the mega function on January 17.
Meanwhile, anticipating a huge turnout of around five lakh devotees, five-layer security arrangements have been put in place in Puri for the inauguration of the temple heritage. Due to the involvement of high-profile guests, the temple and the town will be under a five-layer security blanket for the mega event.
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A large number of security personnel will be deployed in and around the temple, while special security coverage will be provided to the VVIPs. Indian Coast Guard and Marine Police will guard the seafront while hundreds of lifeguards will be stationed at the designated bathing points along the beach.
More than 44 platoons of police, with one platoon comprising 30 personnel, have been deployed to provide security, maintain law and order and manage traffic in the town from January 12 to 16, the IG said, adding 45 police officers will supervise the arrangements. Security personnel have been deployed inside the temple to ensure smooth ‘darshan' and some restrictions will be imposed on the movement of traffic on that day.
(With Agency Inputs)