A day after launching the Srimandir Parikrama Prakalpa in Puri, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of Odisha has introduced the Shree Jagannath Express bus service to enable the smooth transportation of people to the holy town. This initiative aims to ensure people have a seamless darshan of the sibling deities – Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Jagannath at the historic Jagannath Temple in Puri. The buses, part of the state’s flagship Location Accessible Multi-modal Initiative, will operate from all 30 districts, with 80 Sleeper Delux buses equipped with AC facilities providing transport to Puri via Bhubaneswar.

The launch of this bus service is a significant part of the state government’s larger plan to encourage around 10,000 people daily to visit the Srimandir Parikrama Prakalpa – an 800-crore heritage corridor around Puri’s Jagannath Temple. Initially, the buses will run from 12 district headquarters, including Bolangir, Bargarh, Ganjam, Jharsuguda, Koraput, Kalahandi, Malkangir, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Rayagada, Sambalpur, and Sundargarh. Later on, the service will be extended to cover all 30 districts. These buses will have a stoppage at Bhubaneswar, which will facilitate the smooth transfer of devotees to Puri.

During the launch, Chief Minister Patnaik announced that women would receive a 50% discount on bus fares to encourage their visit to Puri. He also mentioned that all necessary arrangements and facilities have been made at the Srimandir Parikrama Prakalpa for the convenience of devotees. Additionally, the state government has taken various measures to preserve and promote Jagannath culture in every village, with the Jagannath bus service being a significant step in this direction.