EKAMRA Project: Old Town Soaks In Devotional Celebration

Bhubaneswar, June 27: The three-day-long ceremony for ``Bhumi Pujan’’ or foundation stone laying for the Ekamra Kshetra Amenities and Monuments Revival Plan, which started yesterday evening, has filled the entire Old Town area of the State Capital in a spirit of devotion and celestial pleasure.

 The multiple activities like ``yajnya’’, ``bhajan sandhya’’ (evening of devotional song) and the dance programmes with the Shiva Purana as its theme, have turned the entire Ekamra Kshetra area to a new happening place of the Temple City.

While the ``yajnya’’ started around 7 pm yesterday, which will continue non-stop till June 28 (the actual day for foundation stone laying ceremony), sky projection, exhibition on the EKAMRA Project, projection mapping at the BMC Market Complex, a beautiful dance performance by the India’s Got Talent fame Prince Dance Group, beautiful lighting of Lingaraj Temple, Bindusagar and its ``Parikrama’’ and other smaller shrines near by had made the Old Town area look like a designer a sparkling jewell. 

Today also the same programme will continue and end with a ``bhajan sandhya’’ and tomorrow the ``yajnya’’ will start at 6.30 am and the ``Bhumi Pujan’’ will happen between 10.11 am and 1.50 am by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The final offering at the ``yajnya’’ (purnahuti) will be done between 10.50 am and 11.30 am with lamp lighting at the ``havan’’ area. Again the evening on the final day will also have all shows, devotional songs and the activities.

The Odisha Government has taken steps to make the important event live on the electronic, digital and social media platforms as the project will showcase its commitment to revive the architectural heritage of Ekamra Kshetra and also to promote the heritage wealth of the city across the globe.

The Ekamra Kshetra Amenities and Monuments Revival Plan include construction of Lingaraj Entry plaza, Bhajan Mandap, Heritage Park and Kedar Gouri plaza, complete pedestrianisation of the Bindu Sagar road stretch, rejuvenation of Bindu Sagar and other holy ponds, Lingaraj Heritage Project, redevelopment of Kedar Gouri and Mukteswar temple premises, e-auto service, seamless traffic management facility etc.