Puri: Many eminent people from across the country have visited Srimandir and paid obeisance to Lord Jagannath to get rid of their problems.
Famous Hindi film actor and politician late Sunil Dutt had also visited the temple and sought the blessings of Lord Jagannath for release of his son Sanjay Dutt, who was arrested in connection with illegal possession of firearms a few days after a series bomb blast in Mumbai in 1993.
According to sources, Dutt had offered a special puja (Chandipaatha) at Goddess Bimala temple on Srimandir premises for wellbeing of Sanjay.
“Sunil Dutt had to run from pillar to post for Sanjay’s bail. He had visited several shrines across the country and offered puja for his son’s release. He had come to Puri and surrendered before Lord Jagannath and Goddess Bimala. We had assisted him for offering special puja at Bimala temple,” claimed senior Daita servitor Binayak Das Mahapatra.
According to Das Mahapatra, Sanjay was granted bail a few days after Sunil Dutt’s visit to Srimandir. “Sunil Dutt had enquired about various issues of the Holy City during his visit to Srimandir. We had apprised him of the mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles on Puri coast among other issues,” Das Mahapatra claimed.