Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Friday evening inaugurated a three-day-long Orissa festival in Surat.

Inaugurating the festival, Modi said, “thanks to sons of Lord Jagannathji’s land settled in Surat, this city is blessed by Lord Jagannathji. Today there is an atmosphere where people living in Puri want to settle down in Surat. In earlier days, Gujarati traders used to settle in Orissa. Gujaratis are even today dominating the silver trade in Puri.”

Modi termed Orissa festival as Milan of Jagannath and Somnath.

One-hour late in the programme, the Chief Minister visited an exhibition showcasing crafts and food varieties of Orissa. Orissa’s Public Relation department minister Prafulla Shyamal thanks the people of Gujarat for welcoming the people of Orissa with warm heart. He said, the people of Orissa will give their heart and life for the city of Surat.

Surat based ABG Shipyard company’s Vice President Subhash Ghetya who is also from Orissa said that the migrant from Orissa have become Gujarati in Surat. He thanked the city of Surat for accepting migrants of Orissa without any discrimination. Oriya people took pledge to contribute maximum in progress of Gujarat on this occasion.