Odisha Govt To Launch New Scheme For Development Of Samaleswari Temple

Bhubaneswar: After Puri and Bhubaneswar, the Odisha government is set to unveil a new scheme for the development of Samaleswari temple in Sambalpur.

According to a release from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) on Wednesday, a new scheme Samaleswari Temple Area Management & Local Economy Initiatives (SAMALEI) will be launched for the development of Samaleswari temple and its periphery with a plan outlay of Rs 200 crore for 2021-22 fiscal.

Under the scheme, the following work will be taken up in the temple and the 108 acres of land in the temple periphery.

Development of Samaleswari Temple
* Construction of a bhoga mandap and a rest room for the temple priests.
* Construction of heritage doors on four sides of the temple.
* Construction of a temple office, an interpretation centre near the entrance gate of the temple to provide necessary information and services to the devotees.
* Conservation and development of Gopalji Mutt near the temple.

Heritage Corridor
* For the smooth movement of the devotees along the four sides of the temple, a one-km pavement will be constructed.
* Keeping the hot climate in Sambalpur in mind, shady trees will be planted on both sides of the pavement.

Passenger Amenities
Construction of yatri nivas, vehicle parking zone, vending zone, toilets, information centre and donation centres.

Houses For Sevayats’ Families
New housing project will be taken up to provide house to the sevayats’ families living near the temple.

Foot Over-bridge
Construction of a 30-metre high foot over-bridge from the temple to the Mahanadi Ghat.

Mahanadi Alati
* There will be a 30-metre deck in the middle of the foot over-bridge from where the devotees will see the river and the temple.
* Temple sevayats will perform the Mahanadi Alati rituals at this deck .

Development Of Ring Road
The existing ring road in Sambalpur city will be widened and a pavement will be constructed along the river bank.

Riverside Development
* Construction of platforms near the river bank to enable the people to perform daily and traditional rituals.
* Construction of pavilions, plazas and decks for the tourist to view the landscape of Mahanadi

Development Of Lake Area
Under the new scheme, the development of a lake area on 22 acres of land will be undertaken for the wetland development. Apart from this, a 5 MLD Sewerage Treatment Plant will be constructed near the lake area.

Widening Of Roads Connecting Railway Station & Temple
To ease vehicular traffic, the roads on both sides of the railway track from the railway station to the temple will be widened.

Renovation Of Cremation Ground
The existing cremation ground will be shifted to the east side where construction of shraddha mandap and rest houses will be constructed with all modern amenities. Besides, a two-metre wide pavement will be constructed from the cremation ground to the river bank.

The government has requested the public to give their opinion on the draft master plan on or before March 15 online through development.samalei@gmail.com