BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has inaugurated the much-awaited Shree Mandir Parikrama Prakalpa, also called Shree Jagannath Heritage Corridor Project, amid the chants of hymns by the priests in Puri.
Large number of devotees, who had thronged the city from across the state and outside, witnessed the grand opening ceremony of the heritage corridor.
Patnaik on Wednesday along with Puri king Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb, 5T (Transformational Initiatives) Chairman V.K. Pandian and priests walked through the nearly one-km-long heritage corridor around the Jagannath temple dedicating it to the public.
The Chief Minister later paid obeisance to Lord Jagannath inside the 12th century shrine.
The three-day long 'Maha Yajna' was also concluded with offering of 'Purnahuti' by king Dibyasingha Deb, the first and foremost servitor of Lord Jagannath.
The 'Maha Yajna' started with the placing of an 'Akhand Deepa' on January 15.
Spiritual fervour gripped the holy city of Puri with vedic chants by the priests and 'harinam sankirtan' by the devotees, who congregated for the event.
The heritage corridor project includes a 75-metre corridor around the 12th century shrine, a green buffer zone, pedestrian-only circumambulation, a reception centre for devotees, a cultural centre, library, Jagannath Ballav Pilgrim Centre, multi-level car parking, cloakrooms and bathing complexes.
Chief Minister Patnaik on Wednesday also inaugurated the four-lane Shree Setu ( first trumpet bridge in Odisha), which will ensure a hassle-free visit to Puri and solve the traffic congestion in the city.
Patnaik and king Dibyasingha Deb felicitated several people on the occasion.
Meanwhile, Shankaracharya of Puri Govardhan Peeth, Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, remained absent during the grand event due to his pre-scheduled programme at the Gangasagar Mela in West Bengal.
Several religious programmes were organised at different Jagannath temples and places across the state.
People watched the live broadcast of the ceremony from their respective areas through LED TVs while dignitaries from different parts of the country and outside, including Nepal, the US and the UK were present at the event.