Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam along with his wife visited the world-famous Konark Sun temple

Puri18/1/25: The President of Singapore, His Excellency Shri Tharman Shanmugaratnam, along with his wife, visited the heritage village of Raghurajpur and the world-famous Sun Temple at Konark in Puri district today.

Upon their arrival at Raghurajpur, they were warmly received by Deputy Chief Minister Smt. Prabhati Parida, Tourism Director Shri Samarth Verma, Puri District Collector Shri Siddharth Shankar Swain, and Superintendent of Police Shri Vineet Agarwal. Traditional folk performances and Gotipua dance were presented in honour of the dignitaries.

The President interacted with local artisans specializing in Pattachitra art and praised their intricate craftsmanship. He also toured various landmarks in the village, including the exhibition center, Anganwadi center, and health center, before proceeding to Konark.

At Konark, President Shanmugaratnam first visited the IOCL Interpretation Center and later toured the Sun Temple, guided by representatives from the Archaeological Survey of India. Detailed insights into the temple’s historical and architectural significance were provided. The visiting Singapore delegation also explored the temple complex.

Several State Govt officials were present during the visit, including Energy Secretary Shri Vishal Dev, Tourism Secretary Shri Balwant Singh, ADGP Shri Sanjay Singh, IGP Shri Anup Kumar Sahu, DIG Shri Akhileswar Singh, CDO, ZP Shri Priya Ranjan Prusty, Sub Collector Shri Raj Kishore Jena, Addl. Sub Collector Shri Nilamadhaba Majhi, BDO, Puri Shri Sambit Satapathy, Deputy Director, I & PR Shri Santosh Kumar Sethy, Public Relations Officer Shri Amlan Das, BDO, Gop and EO, NAC Konark Smt.Chhabirani Sahu, BDO, Kakatpur Shri Bishnu Gobind, and Gop Tahsildar Shri Anil Kumar Mohanty.