Finance Minister Sitharaman offers prayers at Puri Srimandir, to attend series of programmes

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who arrived in Odisha on a two-day tour, visited Puri Srimandir and offered prayers to Holy Trinity at the 12th century shrine on Thursday morning.

Sitharaman was accompanied by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra, MLAs Jayanta Sarangi and Lalitendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra during her visit to the shrine.

The Union Minister is scheduled to take part in a sand art session on ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh' by sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik.

She will also participate in a plantation drive at Puri and visit the birthplace of noted freedom fighter Saheed Jayee Rajguru.

After returning to Bhubaneswar, Sitharaman and Pradhan will join a book launch.

Later, the Finance Minister will attend the inauguration of the 20th National CA Conference in the state capital.

Notably, the Finance Minister arrived in Bhubaneswar on a two-day visit to Odisha on Wednesday night.

Sitharaman, who was accompanied by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, went to the BJP state headquarters from the airport to join a memorial meeting in honour of former party leader and the first Mayor of Cuttack, Nibedita Pradhan.

Nibedita Pradhan passed away on August 10.

The Union Ministers also paid tribute to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his death anniversary.