BJP's First Odisha Govt Keeps Poll Promise, Day after Taking Oath Reopens All Gates of Jagannath Temple

The morning after taking oath, members of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s first government in Odisha led by chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi were in Puri to ensure the reopening of all four gates of the 12th-century Jagannath temple. Majhi, along with his colleagues, Puri MP Patra, Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi, and others in his cabinet, offered prayers during the Mangal Aarti, the first ritual that happens every morning in Shreemandira, prayed at the Singhadwara or the lion gate of the temple following the reopening of all the four gates. Since the government has just been sworn in, in the coming days, the government will take a strong decision keeping in mind the suggestions of all and ensuring justice for devotees and 4.5 crore Odias.” In the run-up to the elections, the Naveen Patnaik government had gone all out to restore temples as well as the few churches and mosques in Odisha, beginning with the Jagannath temple. Aiming for his sixth term, at a cost of Rs 900 crore, the Jagannath Temple Heritage Corridor was one of the most important “achievements” that Naveen Patnaik’s government had to showcase.