Berhampur, May 14: The development of the Buddhi Thakurani temple complex here is expected to begin next week as the tourism and culture department has already handed over Rs 1.15 crore to the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation for the purpose.

District tourist officer Sanatan Nayak said that the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) would execute the project.

"Two days ago, the temple's endowment commission and temple trustees handed over a vacant plot measuring 554 decimal where a Jana Seva Kendra and a parking lot will come up. We will hand over the land to the OTDC on Monday and construction will start by Friday," said Nayak.

The development plan also includes construction of an arch gate, digging deep borewells, supplying electricity, constructing restrooms and developing other basic amenities for visitors inside the temple complex.

Bhubaneswar-based architecture firm Nester has already submitted the blueprint for the temple's development plan.

The tender process has also been finalised and the tourism development commission's engineers have already inspected the spot, he said.

In a related development, the tourism and culture department has accorded state festival status to the biennial Buddhi Thakurani festival, popularly known as Thakurani yatra in Berhampur.

Earlier, five festivals - Dhanu yatra in Bargarh, Parab in Koraput, Mukteswar and Rajarani festivals in Bhubaneswar and Konark festival in Konark - were accorded state festival status.

The biennial Thakurani yatra marks the visit of goddess Buddhi Thakurani from the temple to her parental home on Desibehera Street.

With thousands of people congregating at the temple during the festival, the temple's development will also benefit the visitors.

The temple's hereditary trustee Manoj Kumar Gantayat said: "We have much more to do to develop the temple."