puri

Puri, Oct 25 (LocalWire): The government is aiming for a March 2021 deadline for the completion of the Puri Swargadwar redevelopment work, 5T secretary V K Pandian said today.

The secretary was on a visit to Puri to review the work.

Redevelopment of the Swargadwar constitutes an important part of the state’s initiative to transform Puri into a world-class heritage city.

The work is being funded by the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF), from which Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had approved Rs. 5 crores for the work in November 2019.

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Bhubaneswar, Oct 17 (LocalWire) : Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today visited Puri and paid his tribute to the trinity from outside the Jagannath Temple.

The CM took stock of the ABADHA Scheme in Puri and also directed higher officials to take special measures to ensure devotees in future do not face difficulty in darshan of the trinity, parikrama of the temple and receiving the Mahaprasad.

The CM himself did a parikrama of the temple today.

The leader also reviewed the Puri Heritage Corridor Project. He was accompanied by his personal secretary VK Pandian, Puri Collector Balwant Singh and Works Secretary Krishan Kumar.

During his meeting he has instructed officials to ensure that the security arrangements and scrutiny of the pilgrims are made with better technologies to not cause any obstruction to them.

The CM is also said to have issued orders to make the darshan and other arrangements near Srimandir in such a way that the differently able and elder do not face any difficulty when they visit the temple.

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Kashinath Sahoo, theatre exponent, dramatist and playwright died at Pipili today.

He was 108 years old and one of the oldest person alive in the entire State.

He died at his residence after just a few hours of falling ill.

He was among the founders on the Annapurna Theatre Group and had staged more than 100 plays during his lifetime.

He had been honoured with any rewards and awards and felicitated for his performances.

What was little known about him was that he was a true Gandhian who had written many small plays during the freedom struggle years.

Kashinath was perhaps the last living person who had participated in Mahatma Gandhi’s epochal Harijan Padayatra in 1934.

In fact, the young Kashinath was part of the group who had walked with the Mahatma from Dandamukundpur till Pipili on the 12th May 1934.

Inspired by the Mahatma, he had written nearly half a dozen plays which highlighted the freedom struggle.

These were staged in Puri and Cuttack, and Kashinath just escaped imprisonment from the authorities due to the indirect innuendo and slapstick effects of the plays.

He founded the first Cinema Hall of Pipili, Bijoyshree Talkies, which surprisingly is still running.

He founded the Pipili Sanskrutika Parishad along with many other cultural organisations.

He was among the founders of the Pipili Mahavidyalaya and Jawahar Vidyapeeth.

He was instrumental in the holding of the annual Pipili Mahaustav and the Daya Mahaustav.

According to historian Anil Dhir, Kashinath Sahoo was the last living person who had had personal contact with the Mahatma Gandhi and had actively participated in the freedom movement.

A humble and simple person, he devoted the entire last five decades of his life in the social and cultural upliftment of Pipili and its surroundings.

Dhir said that even at this age, he has a sharp memory, did not use glasses and took care of himself.

Dhir and Ramesh Mahapatra were compiling a book on Kashinath Sahoo and had spent many hours with him in recent months.

The book would have been already been released but was delayed due to the Covind-19 crisis

Bhubaneswar, June 24 (LocalWire): The Odisha Police State Headquarters today issued a directive to the effect that other than officers posted in Puri district and those deputed for law and order duty by State Police Headquarters, no officers will be permitted to go on official duty to Puri till July 4th.

The directive was issued in view of the directions issued by the Supreme Court for the observance of the Ratha Yatra in the district “without public attendance”.

The statement informed that an officer of Jajpur police had visited Puri and tried to enter the temple during the lockdown.

As such, the possibility of some officer alone or with family reaching Puri on pretext of official work or otherwise for Darshan cannot be ruled out and hence, the issuance of the orders.

“As the access control is by the Police, we have the extra responsibility of not only enforcement but also of appearing to be fair in such enforcement,” the directive read.

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Bhubaneswar, June 24 (LocalWire): Capital Region Urban Transport is set to launch a new Mo Bus route tomorrow at 7 am, running from Master Canteen Railway Station in Bhubaneswar to Pipili, it said in a release.

4 buses will ply daily at an interval of 40 minutes, from Master Canteen Square to Danda Mukundapur Bypass, which is the last stop on the route.

The first bus on Route no. 33 will leave tomorrow from Bhubaneswar Railway Station at 7.15 am and arrive in Pipili at 8.30 am.

Some of the important stops the bus will cover are Rajmahal Square, Kalpana Square, BJB College, Shree Hospital, Kedar Gouri Temple, Dhauli Square, Pipili Bypass, Pipili Market and Pipili Hospital.

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Bhubaneswar, June 24 (LocalWire): The three chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra reached Gundicha temple today evening as per the schedule during the auspicious Rath Yatra celebrations which was observed in Puri.

The whole holy procession was observed under strict adherence to the Supreme Court order which had asked for conducting the Rath Yatra sans public presence.

Hundreds of servitors and security personnel ensured the pulling of the chariots as per the tradition and sequence.

Puri King Gajapati Maharaj Dibya Singh Deb also took part in the Chera Panhara ritual where he cleaned the chariot with golden broom in his traditional attire.

The tradition of Pahandi which denotes the carrying of the trinity from Srimandir to the Raths were also conducted as per the ritual with the help of servitors who thronged the site since early morning.

By evening all the chariots were pulled up to the Gundicha temple, considered as the aunt’s place for the trinity at Badadanda.

They will now return from the place on July 1 under the rituals of Bahuda Yatra after days of their stay there.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and lakhs of people watched the live holy procession from the TV sets and took blessings from the lord.

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Bhubaneswar, June 22 (LocalWire): The Office of the Special Relief Commissioner said in an order today that passenger trains and public/private buses shall not be allowed to enter the jurisdiction of the Puri district during the curfew.

Only buses carrying Government personnel/ police and vehicles on emergency services shall be allowed during the period from 9 pm of 22.06.2020 to 2 pm of 24.06.2020, the order said.

It may be noted that the Odisha government had earlier announced a complete shutdown in the pilgrim town from 9 pm of 22 June to 2 pm of 24 June, in view of the Supreme Court’s order to hold the Ratha Yatra with precautions pertaining to the pandemic.

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Bhubaneswar, June 22 (LocalWire): Bringing an end to the heavy suspense over the observance of the chariot festival this year, the Supreme Court today clarified that the annual Ratha Yatra of Puri may be held, albeit, with restrictions.

The three-judge bench of Justice SA Bobde, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari Bobde today heard the application filed by the Principal Resident Commissioner In-Charge of Odisha Government, Sanjeeb Mishra, in which he sought a modification of the Supreme Court’s June 18 order on the cancellation of Ratha Jatra throughout the state.

The Union government as well as the Odisha government had earlier suggested to the Supreme Court that the chariot festival can be held without the participation of devotees.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who was representing the Centre told the Court, “It’d be a matter of faith for crores of people. If Lord Jagannath will not come out tomorrow, he cannot come out for 12 years as per traditions.”

The apex court directed the Central and State governments to work in tandem to ensure a smooth sailing of the Yatra.

The lawyers argued that the state government is capable of ensuring that all precautions pertaining to the pandemic are maintained, and can impose a curfew of a day.

The Yatra can be held without the congregation of devotees, who can watch it on their TVs, Mehta contended.

It may be recalled that a total of 17 petitions were moved in the Supreme Court after its June 18 order cancelling the Ratha Yatra.

It may be noted that Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has reviewed the preparations of the festival tomorrow in a meeting over video conferencing with senior officials.

Meanwhile, the Gajapati Maharaja of Puri Dibyasingh Deb said, “I am indebted to the Supreme Court for reconsidering its earlier decision and permitting the conduct of Ratha Yatra in Puri.

I thank the Central and State governments for their support in making possible this historic event.”

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