Launching the demolition drive to clear the structures located within 75 metre from the Shreemandir boundary wall here, the district administration on Tuesday demolished the famous Languli Mutt near the Jagannath Temple.
The century-old monastery of Naga cult was razed to the ground in the presence of the Puri superintendent of police, eight magistrates and 30 platoon police force and Odisha Swift Action Force (OSAF) commandoes.
As many as fourteen shops rented out by the Languli Mutt to private persons were also demolished; and till evening, a major portion of the monastery was turned into debris. Hundreds of locals including pilgrims thronged the spot to witness the demolition drive.
The Languli Mutt had been declared unsafe by the administration long back.
By Wednesday evening, the remaining parts of the mutt would be demolished and debris fully cleared from the premises, said an official.
Despite being in a dilapidated condition, the mutt was accommodating pilgrims and tourists on its rooftop on the Rath Yatra day and earning huge money.
Sources said all unsafe structures within 75 metre of the Jagannath Temple would be demolished before demolition of the private buildings. An official said all the shop owners evicted from the Languli Mutt would be rehabilitated in municipal and other market complexes.
