Bhubaneswar: Senior IAS officer Manoj Ahuja, who assumed charge as Chief Secretary of Odisha on Sunday, visited Puri to offer puja in Jagannath temple.
Ahuja, accompanied by Puri collector Siddharth Sankar Swain and SP Pinak Mishra, went inside the temple and offered prayer to Maa Bhubaneswari as Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra are confined to ‘Anasaraghar’ (sick room). At this time, the devotees are not allowed to have darshan of the sibling deities as per the customs.
Ahuja accompanied by the senior officers also visited the heritage corridor outside the temple and took stock of the facilities for the devotees for the Rath Yatra.
Speaking to media persons after offering puja, the chief secretary said he had come to seek the blessings of Lord Jagannath to enable him to discharge his new duty with responsibility and sincerity.
He said he has convened a meeting with senior officers on Monday to discuss the preparations for the Rath Yatra in details. This year’s Rath Yatra holds special significance as two other festivals, Nabajouban Darshan and Netrotsav will also be celebrated on the same day.
President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to attend the Rath Yatra which will be celebrated on July 7.
