President Droupadi Murmu embarks on two-day visit to Odisha

Bhubaneswar: After assuming the office of President of India, Droupadi Murmu is on two-day visit to Odisha starting from today. She reached Bhubaneswar airport in a special flight.

Odisha Governor Professor Ganeshi Lal, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra received President Murmu at the Biju Patnaik International Airport at around 10.50 am.

She received guard of honour at the airport and flew to Puri. President Murmu will stay in Odisha on November 10 and 11.

As per the schedule, President Murmu will visit Puri to have holy darshan of Lord Jagannath at Srimandir after paying floral tribute on statue of Utkalmani Gopabandhu in the pilgrim town.

Jagannath temple administrator (development) Ajay Jena said the President after offering prayer to deties at sanctum sanctorum, she will also visit Maa Bimala and Mahalaxmi temples on premises of the Jagannath Temple.

President Murmu is expected to reach Puri at around 12 pm. After having the darshan of Lord Jagannath and other deities at Srimandir, she will visit Puri Raj Bhawan, where Mahaprasad will be served to her.

The devotees will be prohibited from entering the temple during the visit of the President to the temple, officials said.

President Murmu will return to Bhubaneswar in the afternoon and garland the statues of eminent persons here. She will then attend a civic reception at Raj Bhavan in the evening.

More than 25 platoons of police force have been deployed for security arrangements of the President in the pilgrim town. About 100 police officers have been deployed at different locations for the visit of the President, said Puri SP, K.V. Singh.

On the second day (November 11), she will visit Tapoban High School at Khandagiri, Unit-2 Government Girls High School and Kuntala Kumari Sabat Tribal Hostel, where she stayed.

The President is also scheduled to inaugurate an Odia textbook for engineering and a portal (e-Kumbh) at Jaydev Bhawan before flying back to Delhi on November 11.

About 34 platoons of police force along with 300 police officers will be in-charge of the safety and security of the President, said Bhubaneswar DCP, Prateek Singh.