Jamshedpur, February 26 President Droupadi Murmu performed the ground-breaking ceremony of the Sri Jagannath Spiritual and Cultural Charitable Centre Trust at the Kadma area in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, on Thursday, and laid its foundation stone.
Murmu performed the 'Bhumi Pujan' amidst the chanting of Vedic mantras by priests.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Governor Santosh Gangwar, Chief Minister Hemant Soren, and Tata Steel CEO & MD T V Narendran were also present at the event.
Earlier, Murmu was warmly welcomed by Soren and Gangwar upon her arrival at the Ranchi airport.
The East Singhbhum district administration has made elaborate security arrangements in view of the President’s visit, officials said.
S K Behera, industrialist and managing trustee of the Sri Jagannath Spiritual and Cultural Charitable Centre Trust, said the proposed spiritual centre will be a replica of the 12th-century Jagannath temple in Puri, Odisha.
It will be developed on a 2.5-acre plot near the Kharkhai river at an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore.
The project is expected to boost religious tourism in Jharkhand and also serve as a hub for "character building and ethical development" of the younger generation.
"We aim to foster holistic personality development of today's youth and those pursuing higher education," Behera said.