"Naveen Patnaik government accomplished something that hadn't been done in 500 years", says VK Pandian on Jagannath Temple Corridor project

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], February 8 : On January 17, just days before the Pran Pratishtha of Shree Ram Lalla at the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, Odisha government had inaugurated the renovated Jagannath Temple Heritage Corridor.

The Rs 800 crore project is aimed at improving infrastructure for visiting devotees to the temple set in the Holy City of Puri. The Shree Mandir Parikrama includes a 75-metre corridor surrounding the Jagannath temple complex, which, will provide pilgrims with a visual connect with the temple.
Getting this project executed was not an easy task, but in the hands of Naveen Patnaik's trusted aide VK Pandian the project took shape.
"It was sometime in 2018. I was travelling with the Chief Minister to Puri. He goes to Puri on New Years' Day. When we were travelling to Puri, first I saw as we passed one hoarding of Lord Jagannath, he was closing his eyes and prayed. Then after that, in another one kilometre, there was one more hoarding and he closed his eyes and prayed. And then I saw that entire road of 50 kilometres, wherever he saw Lord Jagannath's photo in the hoarding, he closed his eyes and prayed. So that gave me the courage to ask him. You are such a big Bhakt of Lord Jagannath sir; you want to do something for the temple. So, he said, I would be very happy if we clean up this place. This is how it all started, because of his personal commitment" Pandian said.
Pandian says his strong faith in Lord Jagannath and the courage of conviction shown by the Chief Minister were the main drivers behind the project.
"I go to Lord Jagannath temple every Saturday and I have seen how much people want changes to happen in the surrounding. They wanted to do Parikrama. They could not do Parikrama because the main road is the road in which they must do Parikrama. And it is congested there. It was a thoroughfare. It is the main road of the Puri town. So, we called the then MP and MLA of Puri and I only discussed with them. CM wants to clean up 75 meters all surrounding the temple. 75 meters was suggested by a judicial commission that for the safety and security of the temple" Pandian said
"The MP and MLA put their hands on their head and sat down and said that, we do not think it is a good idea. Taking 10 meters itself is a mammoth task. Nobody has attempted. I told them that, CM had said that if you lose, it is okay. If I lose also, it is okay. I want this thing to be done. That was the conviction he had, the courage of conviction he had in doing this project" Pandian added.
"The Chief Minister was very clear and he said, I am in my fifth term. I want to do this for the people of Odisha. They have reposed so much faith in me and they have so much love, affection and respect and faith on Lord Jagannath" Pandian further said.
Pandian also questioned political parties who he alleges ran a narrative that the temple would collapse if renovation works were carried out.
"There was a huge political narrative being done. The temple is going to collapse. It is very easy to create this kind of negative rumours. And when you create a rumour, now you have a powerful social media. There are some people who are very good in social media narratives. So, when they do these things, it hits" Pandian said.
Pandian said the state government carried out extensive survey partnering with IITs and studying similar projects in India.
"We had ground penetrating radar study conducted by a Gujarat agency, which used to do it for archaeological survey of India as well. We had two rounds to find out if there is anything archaeologically important all surrounding the temple where we are planning to work. We had sent teams both to Amritsar and to Varanasi. Golden Temple. And learn about what kind of land acquisition processes they had undergone and what challenges they faced" Pandian said.
"About the risks involved, one is the temple's safety and security. Second, playing with the sentiments of Sevaks. There was absolutely no problem from the Sevaks side. They cooperated willingly. They came forward. People cried, not because they are losing their lodges, which was giving them a livelihood, not because their houses are being translocated. They basically cried because when they get up, they must look at the Lord" Pandian added.
The Rs 800 crore projected was funded by the state government. Pandian says that despite political opposition Naveen Patnaik was determined to do something that had not been done for 500 years.
"The state government provided the funds. The Chief Minister provided generous funds to make people happy. We wanted to complete this temple project in January 2023. There was a Supreme Court case, which went on for six months to eight months. That is how it got delayed. There were vested interest groups who did not want this project to happen. There were political leaders who did not want this project to happen. They all thought that Naveen Patnaik will get name or Naveen Patnaik is doing it for elections. Naveen Patnaik does not have to do anything like this for elections. He wins otherwise also." Pandian said.
"As the Raja of Puri mentioned, 500 years nobody has done anything substantial for the temple. It was Naveen Patnaik who did. He risked his political career and he did this. He did not do it for political mileage. This is a temple in which so many people's faith is there and one step going wrong, your politics is over and your government will fall. That is what people said" Pandian added.
Pandian said the state was able to convince the Mutts of the benefits in the corridor redevelopment.
"One of the biggest criticisms which we faced was that the Mutts are getting demolished. That was being politically raised to stall the project. But the Mutts are covered with commercial establishments. They had lodges, they had shops, they had mandaps, commercial activity. So, the government only removed the commercial part of the Mutt and compensated them handsomely. All the Mutts look like real Mutts now. The commercial portion is removed and they have started breathing again. That divine atmosphere is something to be seen to be believed" Pandian said.
Pandian explained how the project was part of what he describes is Spiritual Governance that the Chief Minister ascribes to.
"He appreciates every religion for whatever values it holds. And he supports everyone. If majority of the population is Hinduism, so you renovate temples, you restore temples. You are elected by the people. So you have to appreciate the faith of people. Some portion of the people want their mosques to be renovated, you do that. Some portion wants their churches to be restored, you do that. You can do everything. But you respect people's faith. That is very important for a leader. if 95 per cent of Odisha has a Hindu population and they believe in Lord Jagannath, you must do something for Lord Jagannath" Pandian said.
"Naveen Patnaik does not believe in doing temple or church or mosque renovation to win elections. He does what he strongly believes in. He is very competent to win his election without doing all these things" Pandian added.
The Heritage Corridor project ensures unobstructed corridors around the outer wall of the Jagannath temple and provides devotee visual connection with the shrine. It also provides amenities to the pilgrims and strengthens the safety and security of the temple and devotees.