Seeking divine blessings for his new job, Orissa's new labour minister performed a yagna in his new office chamber.
First-time minister Pradeep Kumar Naik, who won from the Bhabanipatna assembly segment on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket, is minister of state with independent charge of labour and employment.
He performed the elaborate service, involving lighting a fire inside his official chamber and calling in a priest on Wednesday and distributed sweets to ministers and secretariat employees.
"A Brahmin priest of a city temple performed the Vedic ceremony by burning pieces of sandalwood and chanting mantras. He also made offerings of rice, flower and ghee (clarified butter) so that the grace of the divine came to the minister," one of his officials said on condition of anonymity.
Although ministers are known to visit temples and organize services at home before assuming charge, this was probably the first time that anyone had done such a thing in his office chamber.