Museum to be set up in Puri to promote Jagannath culture

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will set up a museum, library and research centre in Puri for the preservation of Jagannath culture and literature, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said on Friday. Addressing a press conference in Bhubaneswar, Majhi said the complex will play a pivotal role in the study, documentation and promotion of the rich culture associated with Lord Jagannath.

The campus will also have an auditorium with a capacity of 300 seats, a space where light and sound shows will be hosted daily and a large open-air stage where cultural performances will be showcased, he said.

Stressing that a large number of tourists, especially the youth, visiting Puri are not aware of the Jagannath culture, Majhi said little has been done in this regard for the last seven decades. “For the promotion and preservation of Jagannath culture and literature, the government has now decided to set up this world-class centre in Puri,” he said. Majhi also said that no steps were taken earlier to develop Puri as a tourist destination.

“Think about it, if a tourist comes to Puri today, he has two main destinations, one of which is the Jagannath temple and the other is the sea beach. Apart from this, there is no other entertainment or tourism infrastructure where he can spend some time,” he said. “So, to solve these two problems, our government has decided to establish a world-class Shri Jagannath Museum, Library and Research Centre in Puri. It will be built in one complex,” he said. Majhi said the museum will showcase the history of the temple construction, making of wooden deities, Kalinga’s victory in Kanchi, festivals and temple rituals, among others. All these events can be displayed through paintings, miniature statues, plaques and other items, he said. The proposed library will have books related to Jagannath culture as well as Odia culture and tradition, he said, noting that it will also have e-library facilities. The Chief Minister said there are many stories related to the Jagannath temple, and those will be divided into episodes and presented in Odia, Hindi, English and Bengali through the light and sound shows. In another decision, the Chief Minister said the civic body in Puri will be upgraded to a municipal corporation. Majhi said all the processes related to this will be started on Saturday. “The government has decided to upgrade the Puri Municipality to a municipal corporation. Puri Mahanagara Nigam will be formed with areas in Puri town and the surrounding panchayats,” he said. The proposed Puri Municipal Corporation will have about seven to eight panchayats in Puri Sadar and Brahmagiri blocks, he added.

At present, there are five municipal corporations in Odisha -- Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur and Rourkela. Puri will be the sixth one, officials said.