Bhubaneswar: Reverberating with the sense of devotion and joy that gripped Odisha today on the inauguration of Srimandir Parikrama Prakalpa, the students of Vikash Residential School in Deras here lighted 30,000 Diyas in the evening, which were arranged in a formation depicting Lord Jagannath and the Holy Nilachakra.

OTDC Chairman Lenin Mohanty graced the occasion as the chief guest. “I thank the management and students of Vikash Residential School for accepting the clarion call of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who had urged the people of the State to dedicate the day in the service of the Lord by lighting Diyas, offering prayers, beating cymbals, blowing conch shells, singing devotional songs and performing Kirtan to celebrate the inauguration of Srimandir Parikrama Prakalpa. The devotional atmosphere here in the school with the chants of ‘Jai Jagannath’ will reverberate far and wide, and help in strengthening the centuries-old Jagannath culture which is the true identity of Odisha” said Mohanty.

Speaking on the occasion, executive director of the school Valluri Srinivas said, “I thank the Chief Minister for the visionary Parikrama Prakalpa in Puri which has added a new feather to the cap of transformed Odisha. The management, staff, and students of Vikash Residential School are grateful to the CM for this landmark project, which was unbelievable a few years back.”

Principal of the school R Vijay Kumar, Principal of Vikash Global School Vijayalakshmi Das, social worker Pranab Swain, Valluri Sridevi, and others were present on the occasion.