45 Hindus from Pakistan visit Jagannath Temple in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: As many as 45 Hindu devotees from Karachi, Pakistan visited the Jagannath Temple in Puri on Saturday. Many were left emotional after the darshan.
The devotees said they have been celebrating the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Karachi for the last 14 years by following all rituals and with all devotion.
"I cannot describe the feelings and the joy of getting a glimpse of the deities in words. It was due to the blessings of Lord Jagannath that we could come and see them. Since the last 14 years I had wished to have a darshan of the deities," said Krishna Kishore, the group leader.
The devotees said they had started Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Karachi in 2009.
"Every day we prayed that God will fulfil our desires to visit this holy land to have a darshan of Lord Jagannath. We got goosebumps and our eyes were filled with tears when we see the deities. The whole experience was divine," said a woman devotee of the group.
The team reached India from Karachi on January 11 and visited several religious places in Punjab and Uttarakhand before coming here.
"On Makar Sankranti, we took a holy dip in the Ganges at Haridwar. People here are so friendly and welcoming," said another member of the group comprising 40 adults and five children.
The visit was arranged by a city-based voluntary organization Odisha International Centre.