Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh are set to visit the PM SHRI AP Model School in Bhogapuram, located in the Vizianagaram district, on Tuesday. According to the official itinerary, the ministers will be at the school between 9:30 am and 11:00 am.

Earlier on Monday, Pradhan offered prayers at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, where he witnessed the sacred ‘Snana Yatra’ of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra, coinciding with Deva Snana Purnima, a significant ritual leading up to the annual Rath Yatra.

After his prayers, Pradhan expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to have darshan of Lord Jagannath and seek his blessings. He stated, “I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to get a darshan of Mahaprabhu on the auspicious occasion of Snana Purnima. I am deeply grateful. In these times of global crisis, may the blessings of Mahaprabhu Jagannath remain upon human civilization, upon our India, and upon our state of Odisha; only then can prosperity and happiness come into all our lives. The Lord’s blessings should serve as the guiding light for our lives,” he told ANI.

Deva Snana Purnima signifies the ceremonial bathing of the sibling deities with 108 pots of sanctified water. After this ritual, the deities are believed to fall ill and remain out of public view during the ‘Anasara’ period before they reappear for the annual Rath Yatra.

Thousands of devotees gathered to witness the sacred bathing ceremony of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra, a tradition that has been upheld for centuries.