Exclusive Museum at Puri

BHUBANESWAR: With a large number of domestic and high-end tourists thronging the holy city of Puri throughout the year, the State Government has lined up several measures to improve tourism products in the area. To begin with in a bid to further enhance the tourism infrastructure in the city, the Government has decided to set up an exclusive museum to showcase the Jagannath culture. Sources said the museum will be built over 42 acres of land identified at Jagannath Ballav Mutt at an estimated cost of ` 17 cr. The responsibility of setting up the museum will be taken up by the State Tourism and Culture Department. The museum will have various images and statues of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra in various attires along with Yatras and Lok Kathas. It will also house various kinds of sculptures of the Trinity, patta, palmleaf and tussar paintings apart from numerous varieties of handicraft items related to Puri and the deities. Tourists would thus be introduced to the spiritual significance of the place while the business too will get going. Similarly, an aquarium will also be set up in the city. It will be built on three acres of land earmarked in front of Neelachal Haat at a cost of ` 5 cr on private public partnership (PPP) mode. Sources said the aquarium will be bigger than the ones at Pradip Port, Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA) and Nandakanan. It will house various aquatic animals, sweet and saline water fish, crabs, snakes, sea fungus and sea corals. The decisions were taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the state secretariat.   The projects apart, the Government is in the process of formulating a new tourism policy with focus on eco-tourism. Sources said places like Tikerpada, Bhitarkanika, and Chilika Lake have been identified for the purpose. Through this policy, the Government would ensure less  ecological threat to these places while tapping the revenue generation potential of these spots.