)
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who was given a rousing welcome on his first visit to Odisha today since taking over as BJP National Election Campaign Committee Chairman, evoked the 'strong bond' between the two states.
'Wonderful being in the beautiful state of Odisha. Blessed to offer prayers at Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri. I thank the people of Odisha for their warm welcome,' Modi said in a post on social networking site Facebook.
Modi said he had discussed the strong bond between Gujarat and Odisha with friends in the state.
'Dwarka and Puri are related to two incarnations of Lord Vishnu, who appeared in Dwarka as Lord Krishna and as Mahaprabhu Jagannath in Puri ... Both Dwarka Peeth in the west coast and Govardhan Peeth of Puri in the east coast were set up by Adi Shankaracharya,' he said.
Referring to the Swadeshi movement, he said the salt satyagraha of Inchudi in Balasore was considered to be the next biggest after Mahatma Gandhi's Dandi Yatra.
He also praised the skilled artisans of Odisha, who helped the textile industry in Gujarat flourish.
'Thanks to the skilled manpower and the traditional aesthetic sense of Odisha's artisans who have made Surat's textile the best in the world,' Modi said.
