As Charles Becomes King, Odisha Village He Visited In 1980 Celebrates
The people of a little town in Odisha’s Puri district, where King Charles III had once travelled, organised a prayer service for the new monarch of Great Britain at a nearby temple, wishing him health and longevity.
The town of Haripur, which is around 60 kilometres from the state capital of Odisha, came alive with yajnas and chanting on Saturday as a sizable crowd gathered at the Gopinath temple to offer prayers.
A district official recalled that the new monarch, who was still a prince, had travelled to Haripur when he was only 32 years old to experience country life. According to the official, he was treated like a state guest, with the then-chief minister J B Patnaik making sure he was well taken care of.
Charles took pleasure in drinking coconut water while he was there. He developed an interest in basket weaving and coconut harvesting. One of the village’s oldest residents, Sanjay Pati, said that he had also visited fields to observe paddy harvesting.
Chittaranjan Panda, a different villager, claimed that he was just 12 years old when the crown prince visited Haripur.
People still recall fondly how he engaged with people and spent time with them during his visit in 1980. As soon as the locals learned that he had ascended to the throne, they banded together and decided to arrange a prayer meeting for the new king, Mr. Panda said.
Archaeologist Harischandra Das also recalled that King Charles was amazed to witness the sculptures and intricate work at the Sun Temple of Konark.
He had also taken a tour of Mukteshwar temple in Bhubaneswar, a 10th-century shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva, Mr Das said.
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