Puri: President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday walked approximately 500 metres along the Grand Road to Shree Jagannath Temple in the pilgrim town of Odisha and offered prayers for the well-being of the nation.
Murmu had set the precedence on her maiden two-day state visit after assuming the high office in July 2022, when she stopped her carcade at Balagandi Chhak and walked down to the temple like a common devotee.
The President, who is currently on a five-day visit to Odisha and scheduled to attend the Navy Day celebrations at Blue Flag Beach later this afternoon, was accompanied by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida. Murmu kept both her hands raised invoking Lord Jagannath and also waved to people, who had gathered on the roadside to greet her.
On her arrival at the Lion’s Gate, the President was welcomed by Gajapati Maharaja Dibya Singh Deb. She knelt down at the Lion’s Gate as a mark of respect to the deity and entered the shrine after properly washing her feet like common devotees.
The President spent around 30 minutes inside the 12th-century shrine, where she also offered puja to Maa Bimala and Maha Laxmi, and was bestowed with gifts from the temple administration, servitors, and locals as she walked out after darshan of the sibling deities. “I sought blessings of the Lord and prayed for the people of India and wished their wellbeing. May the Lord bless everyone with prosperity,” she told reporters.
Speaking to the media, the temple’s chief administrator, Arabinda Padhee, said that the shrine was closed to the general public for about an hour during her visit. “The President walked to the temple like any other devotee. She also offered prayers at the Goddess Bimala and Mahalaxmi sub-shrines on the temple complex. She will partake in Mahaprasad at Raj Bhawan. We apprised her about the steps being taken by the administration to ensure smooth darshan of the deities for the public,” he added.
A flag was tied in her name atop the temple seeking blessings for the country, said Rajratan Mohapatra, the servitor who guided the President’s darshan. She then attend the 75th anniversary celebrations of Gopabandhu Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya here.
Later in the afternoon, the President proceeded to the Blue Flag Beach to attend the Navy Day celebrations, marking the anniversary of Operation Trident, a landmark naval mission carried out during the 1971 Indo-Pak war that showcased the strategic brilliance of the Indian Navy.