Bhubaneswar, Jan 18: President of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, along with his wife, visited the heritage crafts village Raghurajpur and the iconic 13th-century Sun Temple in Konark, Puri, on Saturday.

The couple received a grand welcome at Raghurajpur with traditional Gotipua dance performances and other cultural programs. They spent over an hour exploring the village, renowned for its artistic traditions like Pattachitra paintings, Tala Patra Chitra (palm leaf engravings), stone sculptures, and Gotipua semi-classical dance.

During their visit, they interacted with local artists and purchased two Pattachitra paintings depicting themes from the Ramayana and Lord Ganesh. Artist Prasant Kumar Subudhi expressed delight, saying, "The President was pleased to learn about our artwork and bought two paintings."

President Shanmugaratnam also received a handmade painting from young artist Ayush Mohapatra, featuring the President and the First Lady against the backdrop of the Puri Jagannath Temple.

Later, the couple visited the majestic Sun Temple in Konark, where officials from the Archaeological Survey of India welcomed them.

Elaborate security arrangements were made by Puri police to ensure a smooth visit to these significant cultural and historical sites.

Powered by Froala Editor