Sambit Patra, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s national spokesperson, was seen walking on a bed of burning coal to pay his obeisance at the ongoing Jhamu Jatra in the Puri district of Odisha.
He walked around 10 metres on a burning coal bed on Tuesday.
The BJP spokesperson also shared the video footage of the same on his official Twitter handle. "Today, I participated in the pilgrimage of Rebati Raman village of Samang panchayat in Puri district, worshipped my mother by walking on fire and took her blessings and wished the villagers' happiness and prosperity," Patra tweeted.
"In this pilgrimage, I am feeling blessed by walking on the fire and receiving the blessings of the Mother (Goddess Dulan)," he said, adding a reflection of this tradition is in the Jak and Jhamu Yatra.
Speaking to reporters at the event, the senior BJP leader said he performed the task with the blessing of the Goddess, for the welfare of the people and peace in the area.
Patra also attached video footage showing him walking on the fire bed surrounded by villagers who chanted "Hail Maa Dulan" and beat cymbals.
Patra contested from the Puri Lok Sabha constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls but he lost to Pinaki Mishra of BJD by a margin of 10,000 votes.
According to tradition, Jhamu Jatra is a penance and devotees inflict pain on themselves by walking on fire or piercing nails their bodies to appease the Mother Goddess Dulan for the fulfilment of desires.
However, the incident has also drawn criticism, with some questioning why the political leader was engaging in the ritual. Some accused him of trying to gain political mileage for BJP to make inroads in Odisha, while others accused the leader of promoting superstition and pseudoscience.
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