Jalpaiguri: A new skywalk at the historic Jalpesh Temple in Maynaguri was inaugurated virtually on Tuesday by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from the North Bengal Business Summit in Siliguri.
The live inauguration was broadcast on a giant screen at the temple premises, drawing a large crowd of devotees and locals.
The project is part of the Chief Minister’s initiative announced during her visit to Cooch Behar in 2020, when she allocated Rs 5 crore for the development of the temple complex.
A high-level committee comprising the District Magistrate and members of the Temple Trustee Board was formed, and construction began in 2021 under the North Bengal Development Department.
The project includes a skywalk, a marketplace and a ticket counter. The skywalk has been designed to ease crowd management, especially during the Shrabani Mela, the temple’s largest annual fair, which attracts thousands of devotees.
The structure features two main staircases for entry and exit, along with two smaller stairways. Drinking water and tea facilities have also
been arranged. While inaugurating the complex virtually, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said: “A ramp should also be built so that the skywalk can be accessed easily by the physically challenged and the elderly. I ask the concerned authorities to look into this.”
Girendra Nath Deb, secretary of the Jalpesh Temple Committee, expressed his gratitude, saying: “With the inauguration of the skywalk, a long-standing issue faced by devotees has been resolved. Even if the number of visitors doubles this year, they will be able to access the temple smoothly. The skywalk will significantly reduce queuing time and ease the pressure on the management committee. We are extremely thankful to the Chief Minister for this gift.”
Local tourism stakeholders also welcomed the development. Mana Biswas, a tourism entrepreneur from Jalpaiguri, said: “Jalpesh Temple is an important spiritual and heritage site. Until now, long queues have discouraged many tourists from including it in their itineraries. With the skywalk, time will be saved, and more tourists will be encouraged to visit. This will boost local tourism and benefit many associated businesses. We sincerely thank the Chief Minister for this transformative step.”