President Droupadi Murmu leaves with Bhubaneswar’s iconic ‘Kora Khai’ gift 

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday visited the 11th-century shrine Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar and offered prayer to Lord Lingaraj. During her stay at the shrine, Kora Khai was offered to her as a token of gift by the temple administration.  

Kora Khai, a kind of sweet prepared by mixing fried paddy with jaggery and other ingredients, is Lord Lingaraj’s first ‘Ballabh Bhog’. Bisoi servitors prepare this sweet item. As Cuttack is famous for ‘Dahi Bara’, Kendrapara for ‘Rasabali’ and Nimapara for ‘Chhena Jhili’, Bhubaneswar is famous for 'Kora Khai'. People visiting this temple city never forget to take this sweet item with them. It has also been a trend in which residents of Bhubaneswar offer Kora Khai to their guests. 

At around 9.20 am, President Murmu reached Lingaraj temple amid tight security and, after washing her feet at the holy Bindusagar lake, she along with her daughter proceeded towards the Lingaraj temple. She paid obeisance to the Lord in the sanctum sanctorum. When she was about to leave the shrine taking a tour, Khordha district Collector K Sudarshan Chakravarthy offered her a portrait of Lord Lingaraj and Kora Khai which the latter received happily. Thereafter, she gifted the servitors with an ‘uttariya’ each. 

It was the Bisoi servitors who were on cloud nine after the first citizen of India accepted the Kora Khai gift. 

“We are feeling proud for President Droupadi Murmu receiving our offer heartily. Kora Khai is Lord Lingaraj’s first ‘Ballabh Bhog’. We supply this to the temple. This item is offered to all VIPs visiting the shrine,” narrated an elated Rabindra Bisoi, a Bisoi servitor.

(Reported by Alok Mohanty, OTV)