SUPREMO OF A REGIONAL PARTY VISITS HINDU TEMPLE IN EASTERN INDIA TO CELEBRATE NEW YEAR

NATURAL WITH HINDI SPEECH

DURATION: 2.06

SOURCE: ANI

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Supremo of a regional party visits Hindu temple in eastern India to celebrate New Year.

Lalu Yadav, supremo of India's regional Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), visits Hindu temple of Jagannath in Puri city of eastern state of Orissa to take blessings on the beginning of New Year.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL

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PURI, ORISSA, INDIA (JANUARY 01, 2011) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC)

1. EXTERIOR OF THE HINDU JAGANNATH TEMPLE

2. TOMB OF THE TEMPLE

3. PEOPLE ENTERING THE TEMPLE

4. IDOL OF LORD JAGANNATH

5. DEVOTEES PRAYING AT THE TEMPLE

6. CROWD AT THE TEMPLE

7. DEVOTEES ENTERING INTO THE TEMPLE

8. HUGE CROWD AT THE TEMPLE

9. DEVOTEES AT THE TEMPLE

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) LALU YADAV, LEADER OF INDIA'S REGIONAL RAHSTRIYA JANATA DAL (RJD), SAYING:"I came here to visit the temple of Jagannath, the lord of lords, on New Year. I wish that everybody prospers."

11. SECURITY PERSONNEL AROUND THE CROWD

12. A RELIGIOUS FLAG

13. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) ANITA KUMAR, A DEVOTEE, SAYING:"I come here to the Jagannath temple every year on January 01. We come here, as we feel really relaxed after coming here. We come here, as we have our beliefs in him."

14. PEOPLE AT THE BEACH

15. THE BEACH

16. PEOPLE ENJOYING AT THE BEACH

STORY: Lalu Yadav, leader of India's regional Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), visited the Hindu temple of Jagannath in Puri city of eastern state of Orissa on Saturday (January 01) to take blessings to the mark the beginning of the New Year.

Yadav came here to pray for his well-being and a good year ahead.

"I came here to visit the temple of Jagannath, the lord of lords, on New Year. I wish that everybody prospers," said Yadav.

Devotees said that a better way of celebrating New Year is to offer prayers at the holy shrines.

One of the devotees felt relaxed after coming to this temple, so she comes every year.

"I come here to the Jagannath temple every year on January 01. We come here, as we feel really relaxed after coming here. We come here, as we have our beliefs in him," said Anita Kumar, a devotee in the temple.

Keeping the security in mind in such a crowd, all arrangements were made by the administration.

Puri is one of the major tourist destinations in the country. Its temples and more over the beaches attract a lot of tourists.