BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Monday said a special security battalion will be set up for the Jagannath temple in Puri that would focus on the security of the temple, crowd management, and assist scores of devotees who visit the temple, the state government said in a statement on Monday.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved the proposal following feedback by the 5T chairman VK Pandian after discussions with stakeholders, the statement said

“The new battalion would have the primary responsibility of providing full-proof security to the temple, will be specially trained for better crowd management and to ensure hassle-free and orderly darshan by devotees,” the chief minister’s office said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.

The Special Security Battalion would have around 1,190 personnel, and would be placed under the command and control of the Puri superintendent of police, the statement said.

Officials said the daily number of devotees visiting the temple is expected to significantly increase from the existing 50,000 once the Shree Mandira Parikrama Project (SMPP) abutting the Meghanada Pacheri (stone boundary around Jagannath Temple) is opened on January 17.

The project, being built at a cost of ₹943 crore, would ensure that the rectangular corridor around the 12th century Jagannath temple becomes a modern-day pilgrim centre complete with all modern amenities including a queue management facility for 6,000 devotees, baggage screening facility, cloakroom for keeping belongings of nearly 4000 families, drinking water, toilet facilities and facilities for washing hands/feet.