Dharmendra for inclusion of Konark, Jagannath temple in Iconic Tourist Sites

Bhubaneswar: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has requested Culture and Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel for including Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri and Sun Temple in Konark in the Iconic Tourist Sites.

In a letter to Patel, Dharmendra sought the personal intervention of the Minister for the inclusion of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri and Sun Temple in Konark in the Iconic Tourist Sites.

“Odisha is home to several wonderful cultural and natural heritage sites amongst which Sun Temple in Konark and Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri are holiest pilgrimages and attractive tourist destinations due to their religious, cultural and architectural importance,” said Pradhan.

He said the social fabric of Odisha is held together by seams of rich cultural history and devotion to Lord Jagannath.

The Jagannath Temple at Puri is the ceremonial home of Odisha’s most revered deity, Lord Jagannath, and one of the four holiest dhams for Hindus. Host of the iconic Rath Yatra, the Puri Jagannath Temple is unifying beacon of Odisha’s quintessential Jagannath cult, he added.

He said the Konark Sun Temple, the 13th-century marvel, is acknowledged as the zenith of Odishan architecture and recognized globally as UNESCO world heritage site.

“Together with Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark form Odisha’s golden triangle attracting millions of tourists and pilgrims from around the world and are breathing incarnations of Odisha’s socio-cultural identity,” said Pradhan.