New Delhi: A billionaire of Indian origin has donated 250 crore rupees for the construction of the first Jagannath Temple in Britain. Britain’s first Jagannath temple is going to be built in London. Vishwanath Patnaik, a resident of Odisha, has given this amount to a British charity working on the construction of the temple. The first phase of the temple is likely to be completed by the end of next year.
According to information, this is the largest contribution to the temple abroad. Sri Jagannath Society (SJS) UK, registered with the Charity Commission in England, said the announcement was made during the first Jagannath Sammelan organized in the UK on Akshay Tritiya on Sunday. It has been learned that out of Rs 250 crore, Rs 70 crore has been earmarked to buy around 15 acres of land for ‘Shri Jagannath Temple’ in London.
In a statement, the charity said, “A suitable site and land is being sought for building this temple. A pre-planning application has been submitted to the local government council to seek permission to construct the temple.” Temple President Dr. Sahadeva Swain said that the temple will become a symbol of Jagannath culture in Europe and a place of pilgrimage attracting thousands of devotees and tourists from all over the world.
Know who is Vishwanath Patnaik
Talking about Vishwanath Patnaik, who fulfilled the dream of Indians abroad as well, he is the chairman and founder of Patnaik Finest Group of Companies, which invests in renewables, electric vehicles (EVs), hydrogen locomotives, etc. Banker-turned-businessman Vishwanath Patnaik holds MBA, LLB and BA in Economics. After working in the banking sector for several years, Patnaik ventured into the industry in 2009. Patnaik recently invested Rs. 500 crore investment plan has been shared. Patnaik’s investments are spread across diverse portfolios ranging from healthcare, fintech, renewable energy to gold refinery in Dubai and bullion trading.