London : London will soon have a grand Shree Jagannatha Mandir with the blessings of Lord Jagannatha and under the guidance of His Highness, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, the Maharaja of Puri and the Aadya Sevak (first and foremost Servitor) of Lord Jagannatha and the Chairman of the Shri Jagannatha Temple Managing Committee at Sri Jagannatha Mandir in Purushottama Kshetra Puri, in the eastern coastal state of Odisha, in India.
A sum of GBP 25 million (Rupees 250 Crore) for the construction of the Mandir has been pledged by Shri Biswanath Patnaik, global Indian investor and Chairman FINNEST Group of Companies and will be facilitated by Shri Arun Kar, Managing Director of FINNEST Group. This was jointly announced by Dr. Sahadev Swain, Chairperson of Shree Jagannatha Society UK (SJSUK), and Shri Arun Kar on Sunday, 23rd April 2023 at the First Shree Jagannatha Convention London organised by SJSUK at the Navnat Centre, UK, in the presence of Gajapati Maharaj and Maharani Leelabati Pattamahadei. Over 600 devotees had registered for this unique convention on Lord Jagannatha which was the first-of-its-kind to be held anywhere in Europe, and attracted Jagannatha devotees from across the UK and Ireland.
On the auspicious day of Akshaya Trithiya, Gajapati Maharaj, the spiritual guide of SJSUK, expressed his firm belief that with the blessings of Lord Jagannatha, the commitment of Shree Jagannatha Society UK to build a grand Shree Jagannatha Temple in London will soon become a reality. Gajapati Maharaj declared his joy that the worship of Lord Jagannatha has gradually spread to different parts of India and, to several countries around the world. Addressing the massive congregation, Gajapati Maharaj declared that “Lord Jagannatha is the all-pervading Supreme Being, the source of all, and He is present in this form in the Purushottama Kshetra, the coastal town of Puri in the Eastern Indian state of Odisha, as described in the Skanda-Purana, the most voluminous of the eighteen major Puranas. The most significant aspect of the tradition of Lord Jagannatha is its all-encompassing universality”.
Dr. Swain, expressed his confidence that under the guidance of Gajapati Maharaj, the Shree Jagannatha Mandir London will become the epicentre of Jagannatha Culture in Europe and a prominent place of pilgrimage, attracting thousands of devotees and tourists annually from across the world. Dr. Swain also introduced and felicitated Shri Biswanath Patnaik, and Shri Arun Kar, who are the Principal Donors of the Shree Jagannatha Mandir London.
In his message to the congregation, Shri Biswanath Patnaik vowed his financial support for the construction of the Mandir and exhorted devotees to join hands and work together with faith in Lord Jagannatha to make the dream of a Mandir a reality at the earliest. Speaking on this occasion, Shri Arun Kar revealed that FINNEST Group has already committed GBP 7 million (Rupees 70 Crores) towards the purchase of nearly 15 Acres of land for the Mandir. A suitable land has been identified and is currently in the final stages of purchase, and a Pre-Planning Application has been submitted to the local government Council to secure permission for Mandir construction.
FINNEST Group of Companies is an early-stage Private Equity investment firm that invests in Renewables, EVs and Hydrogen Locomotives, Innovative Technology, Consumer Market Places, Fintech, Smart Cities and Public Sector, with large investments across the world. FINNEST Group of Companies has recently committed Rs. 500 Crores to set up Odisha’s first EV-Hydrogen automotive manufacturing plant and Rs. 100 Crores towards setting up a Bio Bags project as an alternative to plastic bags and to reduce the carbon footprint.
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