Puri: The grand annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and his sibling deities drew hundreds of thousands of devotees to the holy town of Puri on Thursday, including celebrated Bollywood playback singer Sonu Nigam, who experienced the mega festival for the first time.
Visibly moved by the overwhelming spiritual energy, the singer described the visit as a long-awaited dream come true, even quipping to reporters that he felt as though he must have been an Odia in his previous life.
Nigam, who has recorded numerous popular Jagannath bhajans over his career, praised the local administration’s seamless management of the massive crowd and called the firsthand experience a deeply emotional moment that would stay with him forever. “I have sung numerous Bhajans for Lord Jagannath and Rath Yatra in the past, but I’m experiencing this festival for first time…. What I see here will stay with me for a lifetime. I really like the management here…,” he told the media.
During his visit, the singer also met with Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Puri MP Sambit Patra.
The religious festivities also served as a backdrop for official state events, with Chief Minister Majhi releasing the latest editions of state publications, including Utkal Prasanga, Odisha Review, and Pragati Prabaha, published by the Department of Information and Public Relations in the presence of senior cabinet ministers. Majhi also inaugurated a Tanka Torani distribution center at Singhadwar (Lions’ Gate) and was seen distributing Tanka Torani to devotees and pilgrims.
Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, also in attendance for the chariot festival, remarked on the profound spiritual significance of the day, noting that only the truly fortunate receive the opportunity to glimpse the deities aboard their grand chariots. He also visited the historic Govardhana Peeth alongside state ministers Krushna Chandra Mohapatra and Suryabanshi Suraj to seek the blessings of Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswat.
