Source: Punjab Kesari (translated from Hindi)
PURI, INDIA, June 11, 2001: One of the holiest cities of India, Puri, has turned gloomy due to the death of Nepal’s King Birendra and his family. The king of the only Hindu Kingdom in the world had special right for personally performing puja in the holy Jagannath Temple of Puri. According to the records of rights in Jagannath Temple, the late king of Nepal had a special right to puja which was not available to any other person. Even the local erstwhile prince, Gajapati Maharaj, who is considered the living embodiment of Lord Jagannath, does not have this special right. An old employee of Jagannath Temple said, “We are not able to believe on what we have heard. He was one of the important devotees of the temple.” King Birendra accompanied by Queen Aishwarya, had last come to the temple on 12th May 1993. A special priest of the temple is appointed to look after the Nepalese Royal family when they visit. The king also has similar rights at the famed Meenakshi temple in Madurai, South India.