Koraput: For the first time in history, a grand Rath Yatra was held in Kotia, referred to as Adima Shri Kshetra, where the festival was first initiated in 2002 by the Koraput Jagannath Temple Management Committee. This year’s event made history with the participation of thousands of devotees from the Kotia region, along with several top state leaders.
Among those who attended and pulled the chariot were:
Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo
Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari
School & Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond
Commerce & Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena
Fisheries & Animal Resources Minister Gokulananda Mallik
Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka
Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi
Koraput MLA Raghuram Machh
Kotpad MLA Rupu Bhatra
Jharigam MLA Narasingha Itra
Pottangi MLA Ramchandra Kadam
Jeypore MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati
Malkangiri MLA, Nabarangpur MLA Gauri Shankar Majhi, and many others.
During the celebration, Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari stated that blessings were sought from Lord Jagannath for a permanent solution to the Kotia dispute and its overall development. He emphasized that Kotia is not just a local issue for Koraput, but an issue of significance for the entire state of Odisha. He further informed that a draft proposal for its resolution has already been prepared, with consultations held with locals and leaders from various political parties. The government will act based on the feedback and implement the plan accordingly.
He also stated that the state government is committed to the holistic development of this border region, with proposals including:
Providing housing for the homeless in Kotia
Constructing hostels in Adarsha Vidyalayas (Model Schools)
Building a grand Jagannath temple
Promoting tourism development, which would generate direct and indirect employment for locals
In addition, he assured that education and healthcare infrastructure in the region would be strengthened.
Former district collector Gadadhar Parida alleged that the previous government did not prioritize the Kotia issue, but now there is hope, as the current government is actively focusing on it. He expressed confidence that Kotia will remain within Odisha.
Other dignitaries who attended and pulled the chariot included:
Sarpanch Liv Gemel
Koraput District Collector V. Keerthi Vasan
SP Rohit Verma
Koraput District Development Officer and Executive Officer Benudhar Sabar
Additional Collector Tapan Kumar Nayak
Koraput Sub-Collector Premlal Hial
Pottangi BDO Ramakrishna Nayak
Tahasildar Devendra Bahadur Singh Dharia
Bhagwan Shankar Acharya, Secretary of the Jagannath Temple Committee
All played a key role in the successful organization and coordination of the Rath Yatra celebration.