Puri: At a time when the state government is pumping crores of rupees to develop Puri as a heritage city, several holy ponds in the city here are lying in bad shape.
Though the state government has announced renovation of four holy ponds—Shwetaganga, Markanda, Narendra and Indradyumna—under the heritage city project, the authorities concerned are yet to begin work in this regard.
Thousands of devotees across the globe often visit the Holy City to offer prayers at Srimandir, the abode of Lord Jagannath. Besides, a large number of tourists, from several countries, also congregate in the city to spend some quality time by the beach here.
Most of the devotees and tourists usually pay a visit to the holy ponds of the city. Even many devotees take a dip in these sacred water bodies before offering prayers at various shrines. However, the district administration and municipal authorities of the city have failed to maintain the holy ponds, alleged the locals.
Indradyumna pond, one of the five most sacred ponds in the city, has a special importance in Jagannath culture.
However, the pond, located close to Nilakantheshwar temple, has been in bad shape for the last several years. The walls of the pond have been completed damaged over the years. As a result, sewage from nearby localities enters the holy pond, locals claimed.
The condition of Markanda pond is in no way better than Indradyumna pond. Hundreds of pilgrims usually take a dip in Markanda pond and offer puja in memory of their ancestors. Besides, some rituals of Srimandir are also performed at the pond. However, a major portion of the walls of Markanda pond has collapsed in recent years.
Similarly, Parbati Sagar, a sacred water body near Srilokanath temple, has been a victim of neglect. Hundreds of devotees usually take a bath in Parbati Sagar before offering prayers to Lord Lokanath. This apart, the utensils of the shrine kitchen are often washed at the pond, locals claimed.
However, a major portion of Parbati Sagar walls caved in during heavy rain in October, 2017. The authorities concerned are yet to repair the damaged walls. Many locals, meanwhile, have urged the civic authorities to repair the damaged walls ahead of Mahashivratri.
“The state government has launched several mega projects for Puri. It has also announced to renovate a few sacred ponds of the city. But, the administration has not initiated any work in this regard. We urge the authorities to give some attention to the holy ponds of Puri,” said a social activist.
