President offers prayers at Jagannath Temple

President Pranab Mukherjee today paid obeisance at the famous Jagannath Temple here.
"The temple was cleared of the outsiders and inside the sanctum sanctorium minimal crowd was ensured to enable the President have a perfect darshan...He was happy with the arrangements," officials said.
During his last visit to the temple four months back on April 25, the administration had to face some unpleasant moments when three priests insisted on performing the puja for the President claiming to be his family servitors.
While the administrators ensured no such controversies arise this time around, they also took measures to see that the visitors had a good time visiting the temple.

Several rounds of review meeting were held between Rashtrapati Bhawan and the local administration in the run up to the President's visit.
During his visit to the 12th century shine, Mukherjee took keen interest about the renovation work being carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Temple administration were hopeful that the renovation programme would be completed by next Nabakalebar festival in 2015, officials said.
The President is understood to have expressed his desire to visit the temple then.