Puri's Shree Jagannath Temple committee to start 'Adarsh Gurukul', land identified

Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri will soon start an 'Adarsh Gurukul' in the pilgrim town for overall development of students at an initial estimated investment of Rs 20 crore. A Srimandir Adarsh Gurukul Society will be formed to establish and manage the proposed institution.

The proposal for the Gurukul was approved at the first meeting of the newly constituted temple managing committee headed by Gajapati Maharaja Divyasimngha Deb.

The Gajapati Maharaja will be the chairman or president of the proposed Gurukul, for which the SJTA has already identified 17 acres for it, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Krishan Kumar said after the meeting.

The proposed Gurukul will be registered under the Society Registration Act of the state government and efforts are on to start it from the 2022-23 academic year, he said.

A Gurukul Fund will be set up for the purpose of establishment and management of the institution, he said adding Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has already announced that the state government would make initial funding of Rs 20 crore for the purpose. "We had earlier received some money from Supreme Court to set up the Gurukul. The money will be used for the purpose," said Kumar.

He said the SJTA will transfer the land to the society and legal angles are being looked into before making any deal in this regard. Apart from the Gajapati Maharaj, the chief minister, Puri district Collector, SJTA administrator and some other prominent persons will be members of the society that will look after the setting up and running of the Gurukul.

A chartered accountant and member from the servitors community will also be members of the society, he said adding that a non-profit organization will be tagged for the running of the Gurukul and an MoU will be signed for the purpose.

The meeting also approved free of cost houses for the temple's servitors. "We have identified 8 acres for the purpose and each family will get a plot of around 600 sq ft and Rs 2 lakh for the construction of house," he said.

The selection will be made based on the financial condition of the beneficiary servitors and those who are engaged in the daily rituals of Puri Srimandir. Applications will be sought from the servitors and in the first phase 400 servitors are likely to be allotted houses, he said.

Kumar said the 12th century shrine's repair, maintenance and conservation work will be done on a five-year restoration plan to be prepared by the SJTA and Archeological Survey of India. The state government will bear the extra expenses incurred in the restoration works if needed.