Puri, June 13 (UNI) Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi along with his cabinet colleagues, who were sworn in on Wednesday, visited Sri Jagannath temple early on Thursday morning and offered prayers to the presiding deities during the Mangal Alati.
The Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues were received by state chief secretary PK Jena, Jagannath temple chief administrator Vir Vikram Yadav, Director Intelligence Soumendra Priyadarshi, the district magistrate and the superintendent of police who escorted them into the temple.
The entire cabinet members besides, local BJP MP and othe BJP leaders witnessed Mangal arati of lord Jagannath, his elder Balabhadra and devi Subhadra and offered prayers.
Later they too offered prayers in the goddess Mahalaxmi and Vimala temples located in the temple complex.
Majhi paid respects to the pundits at the Mukti Mandap (platform for religious scholars).
Thereafter,the chief minister along with his two deputies Pravati Parida and Kanak Vardhan SinghDeo, local MP Sambit Patra and Ministers walked around the Parikrama corridor.
Majhi, who interacted with some local devotees and servitors, told newsmen that all the issues relating to Sri Jaganath temple will be solved by the government on priority basis.
He said,the BJP fulfilled its election promises and opened all the four gates of the temple
On the other hand, the police and temple officials had remained busy all through Wednesday night in creating facilities at all three gates of the temple by installing temporary shoe stands ,luggage rooms and security measures.
According to a temple release the regular Pahuda (sleeping) of deities could not be observed.
The Temple gates opened by 6 am and Mangal araati was performed by 6.50 am followed by Mailum, Tadap lagi, Abakash, Suryapuja, Rosahoma and deities were decked with a vesha. Gopal bog was offered by 10.55 am.
On the way back to Bhubaneswar, the Chief minister and his cabinet colleagues went to Suando, the native village of Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das, a prominent social worker, reformer, political activist, journalist, poet and essayist, paid rich tributes to the Utkal mani and visited the museum.
The Chief Minister also visited the village and interacted with the villagers .He assured them that all the promises made in the manifesto are Modi’s guarantee and would be soon fulfilled.
Majhi said the government will formulate the Samrudha Krushak Policy within hundred days which will solve the problems faced by the farmers in the state.
The local police had a tough time as five chief ministers, many union ministers and MPs visited the temple on Wednesday while on Thursday morning the chief minister and his entire cabinet ministers visited the temple.
Elaborate security arrangements were made for the VVIPs.
The visiting devotees and local residents were delighted when all the Sri Jagannath temple gates were opened for devotees this morning in presence of the newly elected chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi and his cabinet colleagues.
Even some of the locals celebrated the occasion by distributing sweets.