Former Nepal King Performs Lords’ Rituals In Shri Jagannath Temple

Puri: Former King of Nepal Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev on Sunday performed special rituals of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra on the Ratna Simhasan inside the sanctum sanctorum of Shri Jagannath Temple.

Sources said the former King, accompanied by his royal priest (known as Lal Moharia Panda), Puri Collector and SP, arrived at the West Gate (Dakhina Dwara) of the temple at 11 AM. Later the servitors of Shri Jagannath temple escorted him to the Lord Bata Ganesh. After worshipping the Lord, he visited the temple of Goddess Bata Mangala. From there, he arrived at the Nata Mandap through the Panda Dwara at 11.20 AM and had a darshan of the Garuda Stambha. The former King then arrived at the Bhitara Katha through Jaya Vijaya Dwara where the Puri Gajapati King Divyasingh Dev welcomed him to the Sanctum Sanctorum.

After the former King went up to the Ratna Simhasan, the Lal Moharia Panda (special servitor of the temple) offered him all ritual materials which he offered to the Lords. He also offered three Salagram stones (collected from Gandaki river in Nepal) and gold coins to the Lords.

The former King, after performing special rituals went to the temple of Goddess Bimala and Goddess Laxmi, returned through the West Gate of the temple after having a darshan of Lord Bata Ganesh.

During the visit, the gates of all temples inside the Shri Jagannath Temple except the temple of Goddess Bimala and Goddess Laxmi were locked by the servitors.

Elaborate security was put in place for the visit of the former Nepal King. The temple had remained closed for the devotees from 9.30 AM to 12.30 PM in view of the visit of the former Nepal King.

In 2003, the then Nepal King had visited the Shri Jagannath temple.

Official sources said the former Nepal King would return to Bhubaneswar later in the day and leave for Nepal on the morning on the next day.