The miracles associated with Lord Jagannath and the temple amuse me a lot. The temple flag, which always flaps in the direction opposite to that of the wind, and the shadow of the main dome being invisible at any time of day, still remain a wonder to me. I relish hearing interesting tales related to the Jagannath culture.

Although I have always worshipped Goddess Tarini, my affection for the Lord grew manifold after I joined KIIT University as a student of law. There was a Jagannath temple on its premises and I began to visit it regularly. Honestly speaking, a number of my wishes came true and my faith in him increased and it is still growing with every passing day.

Although I have travelled to a number of foreign countries, I have a regret that I am not able to speak English, so I never get a chance to engage in discussions about the Lord with foreigners.

But, He is the Lord of the world and I take immense pride in the fact that I belong to the state that is His home.

Every time I visit Puri, I make it a point to visit the temple. I feel nothing in this world is possible without His blessings. I really want to visit the Puri temple before my Olympics stint and that will give me strength to fight all odds.

Unfortunately, I always regret the fact that I have never been able to be a part of rath yatra. Unless I get a call from Him, I will not be able to make it to the festival and I am waiting for that. If I am able to win a medal in the Olympics, I believe he will allow me to be a part of his journey on the chariots.

AS TOLD TO ANWESHA AMBALY