This Odia billionaire pledged Rs 250 crore to build UK’s first Jagannath temple
A UK-based billionaire from Odisha, Biswanath Patnaik, has pledged Rs 250 crore to a UK charity raising funds to build Britain’s first dedicated Jagannath temple on the outskirts of London, Times of India reported. This is one of the biggest donations ever offered to a temple outside India.
The first phase of the temple is expected to end by the end of 2024.
Shree Jagannatha Society (SJS) UK, registered with the Charity Commission in England, said that global Indian investor Biswanath Patnaik made the pledge at the first Shree Jagannatha Convention held in London on Sunday.
Patnaik, the founder of FinNest Group of companies, joins the company’s managing director, Arjun Kar, who is the UK-based principal donor of the project.
The Odia billionaire is also an accomplished serial entrepreneur, legal counsel, and philanthropist.
After being felicitated at the event, Patnaik encouraged the devotees of Lord Jagannath to work together and realise the dream of building a Jagannath temple in the UK.
The establishment of this first Jagannath temple in Britain was announced by the organization during the celebrations of Akshaya Trithiya. The convention organized for the purpose was attended by Deputy Indian High Commissioner to the UK Sujit Ghosh and India’s Minister (Culture) Amish Tripathi. The Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, the maharaja of Puri, along with Maharani Leelabati Pattamahadei was also there.
The Gajapati Maharaja, who as the Aadya Sevak is the foremost servitor of Lord Jagannatha, and the Chairman of the Shri Jagannatha Temple Managing Committee at of Sri Mandir in Purushottama Kshetra Puri declared his all support for the London temple project.
