Bhubaneswar, Dec. 28: The Jagannath temple administration today decided to construct a parikrama - a pathway for devotees to circumambulate the temple as a kind of prayer - similar to the one at Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh.

The sub-committee of the temple administration approved the project, which will be constructed at a cost of Rs 3 crore.

Temple administration officials said that since the temple has been cleared off encroachments, it would be easy to construct the parikrama.

Chief administrator Suresh Mohapatra said: "Besides the parikrama, the temple administration has also decided to take up other projects, including construction of lodging facilities, both for the pilgrims as well as the temple servitors."

According to the plan, the temple administration will construct two spacious yatri nivas buildings for low-budget tourists visiting Puri. While one of these will come up near the police station on Grand Road, the other will be built near the Puri jail.

To be located within a kilometre of the temple, the two buildings together will have around 216 rooms. Each of the building will cost around Rs 15 crore.

Tender for the work will be floated following approval by the government.

The temple administration will also construct 60 houses for servitors who do not have houses of their own at affordable prices.

Considering the rush inside the temple, particularly near Anand Bazar, the place where Jagannath's prasad is sold, a plan has been floated to construct another exit route.

"Once this exit route, either in the form of a foot overbridge or in the shape of an elevator is set up, the rush in the area will reduce," officials said.

Officials said that repair work to be undertaken inside the Jagannath temple would start from January 20 as scheduled. The Archaeological Survey of India will carry out the repair work.

The temple administration has also decided to construct a fence around the land belonging to the temple near the Malatipatpur bus stand.

In a separate incident, tourist bus drivers staged a protest after a security guard at the Malatipatpur bus stand manhandled one of them. The drivers called off the protest following intervention by the police.