Overview
- Odisha’s chief minister, who spoke Monday at Bhubaneswar’s Lingaraj Temple during Somnath’s 75th anniversary observance, said the state will drive jobs by promoting an “Orange Economy.”
- He pledged Rs 330 crore for Ekamra Kshetra and Rs 1,000 crore for projects such as the Shri Jagannath Museum to help position Odisha as a cultural capital.
- The “Orange Economy” refers to a culture-based model that uses heritage sites, museums and pilgrim routes to draw tourists and create local work.
- The event in Odisha ran alongside a Maha Pooja at Somnath attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Majhi framed the push as part of a wider cultural revival that invokes Sardar Patel.
- Officials say the focus on temple precincts like Ekamra Kshetra could lift earnings for guides, artisans and small shops near shrines as visitor traffic grows.