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 Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration in Odisha’s Puri, Arabinda Kumar Padhee on August 31 shared that the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration got approved of an annual budget of Rs 413 crores for FY 2024-25, with a total budget including a Rs 500 crore corpus fund amounting to Rs 913 crores. He also informed plans about enhancing the darshan experience, including upgrading the natya mandap and gold-plating the Ratna Bhandars, while also launching an FM radio station for temple announcements and devotional music.
Speaking to ANI, Arabinda Kumar Padhee said, “The managing committee of Shri Jagannath Temple Puri, under the chairmanship of Sri Gajapati Maharaj, has met recently and approved the annual budget for the FY 2024-25. The budget outlay is Rs 413 crores, which includes a surplus of Rs 103 crores. The state government has announced a corpus fund of Rs 500 crores... Including the corpus fund, the annual budget for the temple will amount to Rs 913 crores and the surplus will be around Rs 603 crores... The Managing Committee wants to ease the 'darshan' process for devotees, for which, we wish to make the 'natya mandap' more spacious and air-conditioned. We wish to have separate queues for men, women, and the elderly... Now both the Ratna Bhandars are empty after their contents were shifted to temporary Ratna Bhandars, we have asked the ASI to go for the scanning and scientific investigation before they are repaired. After preparation, the doors of both the Ratna Bhandars will be gold-plated... The Managing Committee has also decided to open and FM Radio Station, which would cater to the announcements of the 'niti' or the rituals, and also play devotional music...”