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Odisha Moves to Protect Temple Lands, Boost Revenue Through Policy Reforms

Odisha Moves to Protect Temple Lands, Boost Revenue Through Policy Reforms

Praveen Kumar
January 1, 2026

The Odisha government announced plans to reform the Uniform Land Settlement Policy, 2003 and amend the Shree Jagannath Temple Act, 1955 , to strengthen administration and governance of the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said.

Despite owning over 60,427 acres across Odisha and six other states , the temple earns limited revenue due to encroachments and unclear land rights . Private individuals have occupied temple lands for decades without legal ownership, blocking proper revenue collection. In Puri, poor servitors and families live on temple lands without formal rights, creating a complex legal situation.

The temple’s holdings include 60,427 acres in 24 districts of Odisha , mainly in Puri, Cuttack, and Khurda. Outside Odisha, lands are located in West Bengal (322.93 acres), Maharashtra (28.21 acres), Madhya Pradesh (25.11 acres), Andhra Pradesh (17.02 acres), Chhattisgarh (1.7 acres), and Bihar (0.27 acres) .

The reforms aim to regularize lands, protect occupants’ rights where appropriate, and increase the temple corpus fund , benefiting both the shrine and local communities. The amendments to the 1955 Temple Act are expected to improve governance, with sub-committees for administration, strict rules for rituals, and bans on mobile phones and cameras inside temple premises. Devotees will be encouraged to wear traditional Indian attire to maintain decorum.

Legal measures are also being considered against misinformation and defamation targeting Shree Jagannath culture on social media. While previous governments did not fully address longstanding encroachments, the current administration plans to rectify these gaps and strengthen temple governance .

With these reforms, the Odisha government seeks to streamline administration, secure temple property, regularize settlements, and boost revenue , ensuring that both the temple and its devotees benefit from effective management of this historic shrine.