President Murmu offers prayers at Lord Jagannath temple in Raipur

Raipur: President Droupadi Murmu visited the Lord Jagannath temple in Chhattisgarh capital Raipur on Saturday morning and offered prayers there.

Murmu has been on a two-day visit to the state starting Friday.

The president performed rituals at the temple dedicated to Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, and prayed for the well-being, prosperity and progress of the people of the country, a government official here said.

She was accompanied by Chhattisgarh Governor Ramen Deka, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and public representatives, he said.

The Lord Jagannath temple was built here on the lines of the Lord Jagannath temple of Puri (Odisha) in 2003, three years after the formation of Chhattisgarh state. The main structure of the temple is built on a high platform. Idols made of neem wood from Odisha have been installed in the temple, he said.

From the temple, president Murmu left for Bhilai, where she will be the chief guest at the fourth convocation ceremony of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhilai, the official said.

Murmu will later return to the state capital and attend the third convocation of the Pt Deendayal Memorial Health Science and Ayush University in Nava Raipur as the chief guest before leaving for Delhi, he added.