Heritage / Puri’s Swetaganga in Peril, Locals call for Urgent Restoration

Puri, Aug 26: The historic Swetaganga Pushkarini — a sacred tank — is facing serious structural threats, with repeated collapses of its boundary walls sparking fear among residents, pilgrims, and schoolchildren in the vicinity.

Local reports confirm that the western corner wall of the sacred tank has collapsed twice earlier, and now another section has developed cracks measuring 7 to 8 inches wide. The damage has triggered panic in nearby areas, especially as a school located just 20 meters away has also developed large cracks, raising concerns about the safety of young students.

Residents recount harrowing experiences. Bhawani Pradhan, whose son suffers from paralysis, said her newly constructed house was damaged after six pillars collapsed when the Swetaganga wall gave way.

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Similarly, Radharani Sahoo, whose husband is battling cancer, lost two rooms of her house in a sudden collapse and has since taken shelter in a nearby Bhagabata Ashram.

The situation has worsened with continuous rainfall, which has caused soil erosion and further weakening of the pond’s embankments. Cracks have appeared in adjoining walls, while trees growing into the structure have deepened the damage.

Except for the northern side, all three other walls of the pond show signs of distress.

Parents of children studying at Swetaganga Upper Primary School remain anxious, fearing further collapses could endanger lives.

Locals question why the sacred tank, located barely 500 metres from the Jagannath Temple, has been neglected while ₹67 crore was spent on developing the Panchatirtha Pushkarini project by OBCC.

District officials have acknowledged the structural issues and assured that measures such as life guards, barricading, and repairs will be prioritized.

However, residents insist that urgent restoration of Swetaganga is essential to prevent further tragedies, as past incidents of drowning deaths have already highlighted the risks.

The repeated collapses of Swetaganga’s walls underline the urgent need for conservation and structural reinforcement of this heritage tank, which holds cultural and religious significance for Puri.