Dumka: Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, and his wife, Kalpana Soren, who is an MLA from the Gandey constituency, visited Baidyanath Dham and Basukinath Dham in Deoghar and Dumka on Friday. This marked their first visit to the Santhal Pargana division since Hemant took oath as CM after the INDIA bloc's thumping victory in last month's assembly election.
The couple took a special aircraft to the Deoghar airport, where senior officials and JMM leaders welcomed them. Enhanced security measures were implemented at Baidyanath Dham temple for the CM's visit. The temple remained closed to regular devotees for approximately 30 minutes during his presence. The priests at the temple guided the couple through the special ‘Shodshopchar' Vidhi offerings. They also visited the temples of Goddess Parvati and other deities within the premises.
As he left the temple, Hemant told reporters, "I have come here to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva for the prosperity of the state and its people for whom the state govt has been formed."
While Hemant avoided political discussions, Kalpana, who played a significant role in campaigning during the Lok Sabha and assembly elections, responded to reporters by chanting "Har Har Mahadev". Their planned meeting with local officials at the Deoghar circuit house was cancelled due to delayed arrival.
"The CM was supposed to have a brief interaction with the officials at the circuit house here during lunch. He, however, preferred to visit Basukinath to offer puja," Deoghar SDO (Civil) Ravi Kumar informed TOI. After Babadham, the couple proceeded to Basukinath, where they participated in "aarti" ceremonies. Hemant will address a public meeting in Barhait, his constituency, on Saturday.