President Murmu begins four-day Odisha tour

President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday began her four-day visit to Odisha by offering prayers at the Maa Kichakeswari temple in Mayurbanj district, officials said.

Accompanied by her daughter Itishree Murmu, Odisha Governor Raghubar Das and Union minister Bisheswar Tudu, among others, the President visited the eighth-century temple at Khiching.

She performed 'aarti' before Goddess Kichakeswari, worshipped in the form of Chamunda or Kali, the presiding deity of the region, they said.

The President, along with her Rashtrapati Bhavan staffers, also partook 'prasad' on banana leaves by sitting on the floor of the temple, priests at the place of worship said.

On the way to the temple, hundreds of school-children waved flags and tribals greeted the President with their traditional music and dance.

Her helicopter landed at a temporary helipad at Pandarashila football ground in Sukrili where she was received by the governor and the Union minister. She arrived in Odisha after attending the convocation of Central University Jharkhand (CUJ) in Ranchi.

During her four-day visit, the President is scheduled to attend a series of programmes in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sambalpur, Berhampur, Cuttack, and Khurda districts.

After visiting the temple at Khiching, the President moved towards her hometown Rairangpur, where she would lay the foundation of a central government holiday home.

She will also virtually lay the foundation of various road projects and a sports complex at Rairangpur, as well as inaugurate Eklavya Model Residential School at Barsahi, according to a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.