Naveen Patnaik dismantled father’s memorial for developing Puri

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ordered dismantling of his father and former CM Biju Patnaiks samadhi at Swargadwar in Puri in 2019 to create more space at the crematorium and facilitate beautification drive in the pilgrim town, a senior bureaucrat said.Patnaiks private secretary V K Pandian, associated with the chief minister for over 13 years, said this while addressing the Odia Diaspora in Dubai on Tuesday.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ordered dismantling of his father and former CM Biju Patnaik's 'samadhi' at Swargadwar in Puri in 2019 to create more space at the crematorium and facilitate beautification drive in the pilgrim town, a senior bureaucrat said.

Patnaik's private secretary V K Pandian, associated with the chief minister for over 13 years, said this while addressing the Odia Diaspora in Dubai on Tuesday. "Now, instead of a memorial, a plaque mentioning Biju babu's name is there at Swargadwar," he said.

Many Hindus want to cremate their near and dear ones at Swargadwar as they believe that salvation can be obtained if one is cremated there. Biju Patnaik's memorial was constructed by the local civic body at Swargadwar after his deminse on April 17, 1997. The 'Samadhi' took a large area of the crematorium.

Pandian said he had showed the beautification plan of the crematorium to the chief minister. "After seeing that a corner of the plot remained blocked due to the memorial, the chief minister decided to dismantle it. Other members of the Patnaik family also shared the same opinion.

"Patnaik said that his father lives in the hearts of people and not in stone," Pandian said. Puri's Swargadwar was the first transformation project of the state.

The chief minister had ordered dismantling of the memorial early in the morning to avoid public outcry, Pandian said.