BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday requested people of the state to celebrate the inauguration of Srimandir Parikrama on Wednesday with devotion, by surrendering to Lord Jagannath.
In a video message, the chief minister urged people to light diyas, blow conch, pray and perform kirtan to celebrate the day. Quoting Gajapati Dibyasingh Deb, the chief minister said such beautification and transformational work has not been seen in Shri Jagannath temple in the last 700 years.
“Let us celebrate this day, this function of Lord Jagannath,” he added.
Stating the aim of the Parikrama project is to give a feeling of spirituality to lakhs of devotees and strengthen the security of the temple, the chief minister called upon people to involve themselves in the celebrations along with their family members. He said the inauguration of the Parikrama project is a glorious moment in the history of the Odia race.
The chief minister expressed his gratitude to those who made sacrifices to make the Parikrama project a success. He also thanked those who gifted their land for the project, the sevayats, construction workers, artisans and sculptors who were engaged in the project.
“The project has been completed because of the will of Lord Jagannath. Let us pray for his blessings on this auspicious day of project inauguration,” he added.