Puri (Odisha), Jan 12 (PTI) Rituals for the grand opening of the Sreemandir Parikrama Prakalpa or temple heritage corridor project began in Puri on Friday with Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb inviting priests for the 'Maha Yagna' which will begin on January 15.

In a ritual called 'Sri Nahar', Deb invited the priests in the traditional way with betel nuts.

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This will be followed by rituals 'Ankuropan' and 'Ankur Puja' on Saturday and 'Yajna Adhibas' on Sunday.

On January 15, an 'Akhand Deepa' (ever-burning lamp) will be placed at the site, where the three-day yagna will be performed by priests.

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The puja rituals will culminate on January 17 when Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will walk through the corridor in the afternoon, declaring it open for devotees.

A podium is being built at Utterparswa Mutt from where the CM will address the devotees.

Also, a performance by cultural troupes and traditional blowing of conch shells will take place on the occasion.

The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has invited representatives from 90 religious shrines and institutions across the country to attend the mega function on January 17.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)