UK’s first Jagannath Temple to be built in London

A UK-based charity working on a project to build Britain’s first temple dedicated to Lord Jagannatha in London has welcomed a pledge of GBP 25 million from an Odisha-origin entrepreneur and hopes to get the first phase of construction completed by the end of next year. 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. “Speaking at this occasion, Shri Kar announced that Shri Biswanath Patnaik has pledged a sum of GBP 25 million towards the construction of a magnificent temple for Lord Jagannatha in London, which will be facilitated by FinNest Group of Companies, of which he is the Managing Director,” the charity said in a statement. The FinNest Group is an early-stage private equity investment firm that invests worldwide in renewables, electric vehicles (EVs), hydrogen locomotives, innovative technology and fintech. Kar also revealed at the event that the group has committed GBP 7 million towards the purchase of nearly 15 acres of land for the new temple – to be known as Shree Jagannatha Mandir London. “A suitable land has been identified and is currently in the final stages of purchase, and a pre-planning application has been submitted to the local government council to secure permission for the Mandir’s construction,” the charity said. In his message to the convention, which coincided with celebrations of Akshaya Trithiya over the weekend, Patnaik pledged his financial support for the construction of the temple and exhorted devotees to “work together with faith in Lord Jagannatha to make the dream of a Mandir a reality at the earliest”. The convention, attended by Deputy Indian High Commissioner to the UK Sujit Ghosh and India’s Minister