2nd Day Of Odisha Visit: President Droupadi Murmu Offers Prayers At Lingaraj Temple

Bhubaneswar: After a programme-packed Friday, President Droupadi Murmu visited Lingaraj Temple here on Saturday, the second day of her trip to Odisha, and paid obeisance to the Lord.

In a slight modification to her schedule, the President got down at Bindu Sagar lake and walked barefoot to the 11th-century shrine amid tight security. Governor Ganeshi Lal was present at the temple for her welcome.

She performed Jalabhishek and poured milk on the Shivling inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, sources said.

Murmu, who was accompanied by her daughter Itishree, stayed inside the temple for around 40-45 minutes during which the gates were closed for general devotees. The temple trust gifted her a photograph of Damodar Vesha of Lord Lingaraj apart from Kotha Bhoga prepared by Maha Suara servitors body of the temple and a Pata Uttaria (silk shawl).

The President then reached ICAR-National Rice Research Institute in Cuttack on a special flight of the Indian Air Force. She is scheduled to inaugurate the second Indian Rice Congress there before returning to Delhi.

After arriving in Bhubaneswar around 12 noon on Friday, she graced the Foundation Day celebration of Jnanaprabha Mission, a charitable organisation, at Utkal Mandap in Bhubaneswar. Later in the afternoon, she attended the 2nd Convocation of Rama Devi Women’s University, also her alma mater.

This is Murmu’s second visit to her home state after assuming the highest constitutional position in the country in July last year.