Post News Network
Puri, August 7: President Pranab Mukherjee, who was on an official tour to the state, visited the Jagannath temple here Friday evening amid tight security.
The President spent around 30 minutes inside the temple and had a darshan of the presiding deities at the sanctum sanctorum, according to Srimandir sources.
Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb and Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Suresh Chandra Mahapatra welcomed Mukherjee when he reached the Lion’s Gate of the temple at 6.12 pm. Srimandir managing committee members, including Mahanta Ramcharan Das Maharaj, Bira Kishore Mahapatra, Purnachandra Pujapanda and Bhagwan Suar greeted the President at the Nata Mandap of the temple, which he reached through Baishi Pahacha and Satapahacha, Srimandir sources said.
A few Brahmin priests recited Vedas on the occasion as the President, flanked by SJTA officials and servitors, entered the sanctum sanctorum through the Jay-Bijay and Dhukudi gates. Brahmin priests offered basil on behalf of Mukherjee, said an official of the temple administration.
The President also visited the Goddess Bimala temple and Goddess Mahalaxmi temple. Mukherjee met his ancestral priests Madhusudan Pujapanda, Damodar Gochhikar and Shyamsundar Gochhikar and signed in the visitors’ diary. SJTA officials gifted Mukherjee Khandua Pata, Mahaprasad and a memento depicting the Suna Besa of the deities.
The President left Srimandir at 6.50 pm, Srimandir sources said. The temple administration prohibited the entry of devotees for two hours to facilitate a hassle-free visit for the President. “This is the fourth visit of the President to Srimandir. He has expressed his happiness over the smooth organisation of Nabakalebara festival and Rath Yatra of the presiding deities,” SJTA chief Suresh Mahapatra said.
District administration sources said Mukherjee’s chopper landed at Talabania helipad at 4.05 pm. Revenue divisional commissioner Bikash Chandra Mahapatra, collector Aravind Agarwal, superintendent of police Ashis Kumar Singh and municipality chairperson Jayanta Kumar Sarangi welcomed Mukherjee at the helipad. The President spent two hours at Governor’s House in the city here. Several platoons of armed police and special operations group (SOG) personnel were deployed.
