By Nageshwar Patnaik in Bhubaneswar, June 17, 2025: He is the Bada Thakur – the chief among Gods. His is Bada Deula, the chief temple among temples and the path in front of His temple is called Bada Danda, the chief path way. The sea washing the shore of His Khetra is called Mahodadhi, which means the great ocean. Everything related to Lord Jagannath and His temple is unique and extraordinary. His Temple in Puri, boasts of having the biggest kitchen in the country.

Not surprisingly, he continues to be the biggest land lord in the country with over 60,822 acres of land in Odisha and six other states, according to the official records. Of these, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has received the final Record of Rights (RoR) over 38,061.892 acres of land. Besides, that the temple administration has already lodged 974 encroachment cases in different tehsils of the state to remove illegal encroachments. The cases were filed as per the provision of the Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1955, after the conduct of a proper inquiry by SJTA officials. Though the management decided to sell off the land, it took almost 10 years to identify temple land and sort out the records. The Temple now have pattas for 21,000 acres after protracted legal battle.

The food offered to Lord Jagannath is known as Mahaprasad. Around 500 cooks and 300 helping hands prepare 56 different offerings known as ‘Mahaprasad’ for Lord Jagannath, which are served to the deity six times a day. Every devout Hindu preserves Nirmalya or dry Mahaorasad. The kitchen has 32 rooms, 752 stoves and nine earthen pots. Some 3000 families directly or indirectly depend on this Kitchen and the annual turnover from Mahaprasad business is pegged around Rs 30 crore.

There are about 1342 sevayat (servitor) families dedicated to this 12th century Temple, according to the census carried out by the Temple authority recently. Round the year 1700 servitors serve the Lord uninterrupted as per the rituals. On top of that about 1500 non-servitors are engaged in various services to carry on the age-old tradition. The system of worship of Lord Jagannath and other deities and rituals in their present form, have an unbroken tradition over 800 years. Needless to say, the maintenance and administration of this great temple is like a small state within a big state.

During the British Rule, the Raja of Puri was appointed as Superintendent to manage the temple administration. After independence, the Orissa Government passed “The Puri Shri Jagannath Temple (Administration) Act, 1952” with provisions to prepare the Record of Rights and duties of Sevayats and such other persons connected with the system of worship and management of the temple. Subsequently, “Shri Jagannath Temple Act – 1955” was enacted to manage the affairs of the temple and its properties. The Act only came into force from December 27, 1960 because of long drawn legal battles.

For ages, the temple economy was land based and 98% of the land was cultivated by tenants. Just after the abolition of the abolition of estates in 1956; the temple came under stress with income from land dwindling. At the same time, there was a sharp rise in prices of all materials required to manage the rituals of the Lord.

Things have started improving thanks to reforms initiated five years ago. To-day the corpus fund of the Temple is Rs 102 crore largely due to generation of additional Rs 53.75 crore in the last three financial years. The income from land has gone up from Rs 3.25 crore in 2004-05 to Rs 15.08 crore at the end of March 2008, up by 364%. Similarly donations have gone up from Rs 28.5 lakh to Rs 1.04 crore, up by 266%. Jagannath Temple’s income has gone up to is 271 Crores per year.

The annual Jagannath Rath Yatra, in Puri is not only a religious and cultural spectacle but also a significant economic driver for the state. The festival draws millions of devotees and tourists from across the world, providing a major boost to Odisha’s tourism, hospitality, and local business sectors.

The Rath Yatra is the grandest event in Odisha, attracting between 10 to 20 lakh visitors during the festival period. In this year’s festival beginning on June 27, the Odisha government expects a crowd of 10 to 15 lakh for the event, with all hotels in Puri booked out well in advance. This surge in visitors translates into substantial business for hotels, restaurants, transport operators, and small vendors, many of whom rely on the festival for a significant portion of their annual income.

Tourism contributes significantly to Odisha’s economy, accounting for about 13% of the state’s GDP. The inflow of income through tourism in 2023 was nearly Rs 9,871 crore, a sharp recovery from the pandemic years when revenue dropped to around Rs 3,735 crore in 2021. The number of domestic tourists in Odisha rebounded to over 97 lakh in 2023, up from just 37 lakh in 2021, reflecting the festival’s role in reviving the sector post-pandemic.

Local transport services see a spike in demand. The government also invests in infrastructure and free transportation for devotees during the festival. Local artisans and vendors, such as those selling souvenirs, handicrafts, and the famous ‘khaja’ sweets, experience a boom in sales. Many families depend on the festival season for a substantial part of their annual earnings. Restaurants and street food vendors witness a surge in business, catering to the massive influx of visitors.

The Odisha government also spends heavily on infrastructure, security, and public services to smoothly run the Rath Yatra. In recent years, over Rs 95 crore has been budgeted for better roads, steady power, and improved facilities. In 2024, advanced tools like AI-powered CCTV and drones were used to manage crowds and traffic, showing the state’s continued focus on safety and efficiency during the festival.

The Rath Yatra not only helps in income generation but also improves the economic condition of local businessmen, artisans, and service providers. The influx of devotees stimulates demand for goods and services, creating employment opportunities and supporting livelihoods across Puri and beyond. Nonetheless, the festival also throws challenges such as crowd management, pressure on infrastructure, and temporary shortages of lodging due to the dismantling of old lodges for heritage conservation. The government continues to address these through planned investments and improved facilities.