Bhubaneswar: A picture is worth a thousand words is an English adage that fits right when we see the transformation of Puri in the image posted above. This is neither an artist’s imagination nor a graphics output to give a false impression to the people of Odisha. This is today’s Puri. It is the same Puri that was once regarded as an overcrowded city with narrow streets.
Better late than never, Puri is undergoing a transformation that was due for centuries. Today the administration is trying its best to secure the city and beautify the world cultural center into a place that will be adored by everybody. Within a few days of clearing some of the peripheral areas near to the world famous Jagannath Temple, a magnificent view of the same is visible. As can be seen in the image, the streets near the Meghanada Pacheri could be glimpsed clearly. They were cleared in the last few days. The dilapidated buildings and illegal structures were cleared to bring in a spacious place for the Temple. Now it looks something really changed. There is space for parking, traffic and security of the centuries old temple. The spacious streets can now accommodate thousands of people who come to Puri to have the Darshan of Lord Jagannath.
Earlier when we compared Puri with the developed religious cities like Tirupati and Amritsar or Shiridi, we found it difficult to boast our city’s infrastructure. But today, we could see the city transforming into a world class one. The land being developed around Puri Temple will make it more spacious and provide a breathtaking experience to the lakhs of people who come here. This is a win-win situation for all as it will add to the perception of the tourists.
Thanks to the prompt action by the administration, the cleared streets have been re-laid with tiles and it looks nowhere less than some of the famous cities of the country. The work is also continuing in the other parts and in the coming days we could see a much better view of the land of Lord Jagannath. It becomes everybody’s responsibility to develop Puri into a World Heritage City and the government seems to be in a mission mode to make it happen. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s ambitious plans for the City will definitely make it one of the best places of the world. Thanks to the team involved in the process, we are seeing a real-time transformation.