Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday inaugurated the ambitious Rs 800-crore Puri Srimandir Parikrama Project at a simple ceremony amidst chanting of hymns.
The Chief Minister arrived at the venue in an EV accompanied by 5T and Nabin Odisha Chairman VK Pandian. He was welcomed by Gajapati King Dibyasingha Deb.
Patnaik unveiled a plaque dedicating the newly constructed Srimandir Parikrama to the devotees.
Soon after the inauguration, Gajapati King Dibyasingha Deb offered the ‘Purna Ahuti’ to the three-day Maha Yajna, which began on Monday as a precursor to the grand event.
After concluding the yagna, the Chief Minister accompanied by Pandian, Gajapati King, dignitaries, and members of different cultural troupes walked in procession around the heritage corridor.
The Chief Minister is scheduled to release a few documentary videos on the project and felicitate everyone involved in the execution of the Parikrama Project before leaving for Bhubaneswar.
The devotees will be allowed to enter the Parikrama and also have darshan of the Holy Trinity after 3.00 pm.
Hundreds of devotees reached Puri to witness the inauguration of Srimandir Parikrama. Tight security arrangements were in place with the deployment of 80 platoons of the police force to provide security to the VIPs and devotees, maintain law and order, and manage traffic during the event.
The Puri district administration has installed 500 CCTV cameras across Pilgrim City for the inaugural ceremony.
