Jagannath temple in Puri

Bhubaneswar, May 23: Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik has sought funds of Rs 1,397 crore from the Planning Commission to improve the existing infrastructure of Puri, keeping in mind the inflow of nearly 50 lakh tourists to the town during the Nabakalebar festival to be held in 2015.

Nabakalebara, a ceremony associated with the Jagannath culture, takes place either in 12 or 19 years, according to the Hindu almanac.

In the ceremony, idols of the three lords are replaced with new ones. Earlier, Nabakalebara was organised in 1950, 1969, 1977 and 1996. The entire process continues for about 30 to 50 days.

In a letter to deputy chairman of the planning commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Naveen said the state was gearing up for this momentous occasion when around 50 lakh pilgrims, visitors and tourists would be expected to congregate in Puri. During the 30-50 day period many religious activities are organised simultaneously at differently locations all over Puri.

A large number of projects including infrastructure development and strengthening of existing services and amenities besides capacity building have been planned for the event.

Adequate provisions have to be made for providing safe drinking water, sanitation, sewage disposal, proper drainage, expansion of grid stations and distribution network for supply of electricity, augmenting road network and improving railway station. Health care and trauma centres will be opened. A comprehensive mobility plan including routes and parking is being prepared. Temporary townships and other accommodation and shelters shall be established. It is imperative that law and order, traffic and crowd management are of top standards for the occasion.

Earlier, Naveen had written a letter to the Centre demanding immediate construction of world-class railway stations in Puri and Bhubaneswar.