State To Make Documentary on puri

BHUBANESWAR: The tourism department has decided to make a documentary on Nabakalebara (creation of new idols of deities), scheduled to be observed at the Jagannath Temple in Puri in July 2015. The department will engage a reputed filmmaker for it. "Selection of filmmaker or production house will be made in a transparent manner. We are all set to float an expression of interest for it.

The film will cover the sequences and rituals of Nabakalebara. The production house will select artists.

The movie's duration is likely to be limited to one hour and it will be produced in both Odia and English. "It will be a promotional film on Nabakalebara, which was last observed in 1996. Since there was no pictorial or videographic feed of the last festival, we decided to shoot the next year's festival. We can use the film to promote Odisha tourism.

The temple administration recently formed a committee to chalk out a communication strategy for the festival.

There is also a plan to engage a brand ambassador. For the smooth stay of tourists, the state government has decided to augment accommodation facilities in Puri.

Temporary accommodations will be constructed for around one lakh pilgrims. Owners of lodgings, dharmasalas and HOTELS have been asked to complete repair and sanitation works well before Nabakalebara. At present, around 19,886 beds are available in 350-odd HOTELS. It will be increased to 30,000. Around 32 new HOTELS will come up by Nabakalebara, which will provide around 4,000 beds.

The temple administration has set December 2014 deadline for Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), custodian of the temple, to complete the conservation work. The ASI had set March deadline for it. On January 14, officers of the Union culture department took STOCK of the conservation works in the wake of allegations of tardy progress. On November 28, 2013, the Jagannath Temple Administration lodged a complaint with the ASI director general, alleging slow progress.