President Kovind releases commemorative coins on Nabakalebar festival

Puri: President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday released Rs 10 and Rs 1000 commemorative coins on Nabakalebar festival at Puri.

The commemorative coins were released at a function of Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan at Puri.

The Government of India had earlier announced for the release of coins of Rs 10 and Rs 1,000 denominations to mark the symbolic recreation of sibling deities including Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra.

Earlier, the President o visited Srimandir here seeking blessings of Lord Jagannath during his two-day maiden visit to Odisha.

Accompanied by his wife Savita Kovind, Kovind had darshan of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra at Srimandir this morning.

Kovind entered the shrine at around 7.30 am and came out at around 8.20 am offering prayer to deities.

Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA)’s chief administrator Pradeep Kumar Jena, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, servitor Krushna Chandra Gochhikar and other servitors welcomed President Kovind and India’s first lady Savita Kovind. They also accompanied the couple at Srimandir.

The record says that earlier Kovind’s father had also visited Srimandir.

In view of President’s visit to Srimandir, the temple administration had closed the darshan for the public from 6.30 am till 8.30 am.

The district administration had beefed up the security during his visit to Puri.