Paradip Rath a symbol of harmony

Kendrapada: The annual Rath Yatra of the 51-year-old Jagannath temple in Paradip has over the years become a symbol of communal harmony as the people belonging to all religious take part in festivities.
Paradip Port Trust (PPT) chairman P L Haranadh performed the ceremonial ‘chhera pahanra’ as part of rituals associated with the annual Rath Yatra.
“People of all communities are equally enthusiastic about the Rath Yatra here. On Tuesday people participated in the car festival with equal enthusiasm. This is the only Jagannath temple in the world where people from all communities can enter the sanctum sanctorum. Many people from minority community pulled the chariot on Tuesday. Lord Jagannath symbolises virtue and it’s our duty to promote virtue,” said Rabindra Kumar Das, the managing trustee of the temple.
“The temple was built in 1972 when M Y Rao, a Christian, was the chairman of Paradip Port Trust. Rao, along with Pandit Padma Charana Tripathy of Paradip, and others decided to convert the temple into a symbol of communal harmony by allowing members of all religious faiths into the temple,” added Das.