AMC begins 1st phase of Jagannath Temple Heritage Corridor with ₹20 cr fund

The Amdavad Municipal Corporation has begun work on a Jagannath Temple Heritage Corridor project on the lines of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor model, with ₹20 crore approved in the first phase for restoration and redevelopment works.

Under the corporation’s ‘Mission Mandir’ project, nearly 35 temples located between the Sabarmati Riverfront’s Saptarshi Aara and the Jagannath Temple will be renovated and linked through a dedicated temple pathway. The proposed Temple Link Circuit will cover nearly two kilometres and will be developed in three phases.

The project, which had remained pending during municipal elections, is now moving ahead. Officials said the redevelopment pattern will follow the heritage-corridor style adopted in Varanasi.

As part of the project, slum settlements on government land along the annual Jal Yatra route of the Jagannath Temple are expected to be converted into EWS housing schemes. Officials believe this may involve significantly higher expenditure in the third phase.

The Gujarat Pavitra Yatradham Vikas Board has reportedly given in-principle approval for a grant of ₹155 crore, of which ₹15 crore has been allocated to the municipal corporation.

The first-phase tender worth ₹20 crore has been cleared, while the  second-phase proposal worth more than ₹70 crore is currently under approval. This includes plans for a heritage centre, multi-level parking facility, and food plaza.

Several temples including Somnath Bhudar Aara, Mahalaxmi Temple near Manek Burj, Ganpati Temple at Vasant Chowk, Maruti Temple, Krishna Temple, Ramji Temple, and multiple Shiva temples will undergo restoration under the project.