BHUBANESWAR: In a departure from the usual practice, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik did not visit the Shri Jagannath temple in Puri on New Year’s day on Saturday and sought blessings at Naveen Niwas here.
In a video released by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the Chief Minister is seen praying before the Lord Jagannath at his residence.
The Chief Minister visits Jagannath temple in Puri on January 1 every year and pays obeisance to the Trinity. However, as the temple is closed to avoid crowding in view of the Covid-19 restrictions, he chose to start 2022 by ‘darshan’ of Lord Jagannath at his residence.
Later, he met with ministers and IAS officers through video conference to wish them on the New Year. He also advised them to ensure that no needy person is deprived of getting benefits from the welfare programmes of the government.
The Chief Minister also interacted with the Director General of Police and other senior police officials to wish them on the occasion.
In a message, Naveen also greeted the people and urged them to follow Covid-19 guidelines as the pandemic is not over yet.
As the new variant of the virus has become a cause for concern all around, the Chief Minister urged people to stay alert. All major places of worship and picnic spots remained closed to avoid crowding.