PURI, Jan 22:
Around 45 Hindus including five children hailing from Karachi, Pakistan visited the iconic Jagannath temple and offered prayers, an official said. Ranjit Jena, the convenor of Odisha international centre (OIC) which has sponsored and organised the Hindu pilgrims’ trip to India, said they visited the temple on Saturday night.
He said OIC had been organising such trips every year but due to the Covid pandemic it was discontinued after 2018.
The Pak pilgrims before arriving at Puri had visited Mathura, Vrindaban and other important Hindu shrines.
Jagannath temple PRO JK Pattnaik said the pilgrims from Pakistan came to the temple gate where their traditional family Panda(priest) guided them inside for darshan of the deities.
Adequate security arrangements were made by the temple and the police during their visit.
After about forty minutes of stay inside the temple the Hindus from Pakistan left, the PRO said. (UNI)
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