Bhubaneswar, March 6: For the first time in nearly 25 years, the Chief Minister’s official residence in Bhubaneswar has a new occupant. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi moved into the CM residence on Thursday after performing the traditional ‘Gruha Pravesh’ rituals along with his family.

The auspicious housewarming ceremony was conducted with great reverence, with 11 Brahmin priests from Puri presiding over the rituals.

The ceremony began with the worship of two cows, a customary practice in Hindu traditions believed to bring prosperity and positive energy to a new home.

Following this, the Gruha Pravesh was performed, marking CM Majhi’s formal entry into the residence with his family at 10:47 a.m., a time deemed astrologically favourable.

The two-storey official residence, located strategically between Raj Bhavan and AG Square, has remained unoccupied for over twenty years. Since 2000, when Naveen Patnaik became the Chief Minister, the house has been vacant, as he chose to live in his own private residence instead.

Odisha Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Naveen Patnaik, in his 24-year tenure, operated from his personal home, Naveen Niwas, when he was the Chief Minister of the state. For a quarter-century, all official and administrative work was conducted from Naveen Niwas -- a palatial mansion built by his father and former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik.

Before Patnaik’s tenure, the CM quarters were home to former Chief Ministers J.B. Patnaik and Giridhar Gamang.

Given the prolonged disuse of the CM residence, the government undertook a major renovation project that lasted eight months before making the residence habitable once again.

The refurbished CM House now boasts multiple conference rooms, a watchtower for security, and a sprawling garden in the front, providing both functionality and aesthetic appeal.

With Mohan Charan Manjhi now formally moving in, the Chief Minister’s residence in Bhubaneswar is once again a hub of political activity after a quarter-century of dormancy.

--IANS

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