Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday spoke with the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami urging him to develop the reportedly neglected Jagannath Temple in Sald village under Uttarkashi.
Pradhan discussed the matter with Dhami in a video conferencing meeting which was also joined by actor couple Sabyasachi Mishra and Archita Sahoo, who highlighted the issues of the temple and the Mahanayak of Puri Srimandir Chhattisa Nijog, Janardan Pattajoshi.
Speaking about the meeting, Pradhan said, “I thanked actor Sabyasachi Mishra for highlighting the issue. I have urged the Uttarakhand government to include the temple in any of their projects in order to revive it.”
"Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has assured me to help revive this temple and develop it as a religious tourist spot. I pray Lord Jagannath to bless the CM of Uttarakhand so that he can succeed in completing the project soon,” Pradhan added.
Sabyasachi and Archita went to the temple in Sald village near the district headquarters of Uttarkashi and took stock of the situation by interacting with the priests there. They mobilised the devotees from Sald and nearby villages to visit the temple. Later, the actor couple accompanied by the villagers went to the temple, performed puja, and offered prasad to the deities.
The temple, located at a height of around 3000 feet above sea level, is one of the oldest temples of Jagannath. Unlike other temples, the Lord is worshipped here in the form of stones.