LIKABALI, 12 May: Gujarat Chief Secretary Raj Kumar visited Malinithan and offered prayers at the Malini temple here in Lower Siang district on Sunday.
Kumar spoke on the unique link that Gujarat and the Malinithan temple had in the past. “It is believed that Lord Krishna had tied the nuptial knot with Devi Rukmini in Malinithan while on his way back to Dwarka,” he said.
“Every year in Gujarat we celebrate the marriage of Lord Krishna and Devi Rukmini at Madhopur Ghed in Porbander district, where cultural troupes and craftsmen from other states, including Arunachal Pradesh, participate, and I wish that the Malinithan temple would be a part of the festival in Gujarat in the coming days,” he said.
Kumar expressed hope that “the Krishna-Rukmini epical link would form a strong base for cultural tie between the two states, with Arunachal Pradesh at the easternmost tip and Gujarat at the westernmost end bonded with the link.”
Malinithan, nestled in the foothills of Likabali, is an archaeological site of the mediaeval period of 10-12 century AD and is adorned with the famous twin Hindu temples – the Malini temple and the Rukmini temple.
The CS also visited the district archaeological museum before his departure.
Kumar was accompanied by his wife during the visit. (DIPRO)
