Prez Murmu pays obeisance at Ranchi temple, garlands Birsa Munda statue

President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday paid obeisance at the Baba Baidyanath temple in Jharkhand's Deoghar district.

She performed special prayers at the temple, which is one of the 12 'jyotirlingas'.

A team of priests assisted the president in performing the prayers amid tight security in the temple complex.

Baidyanath Temple officials said Murmu performed a special puja in the temple amid the chanting of Vedic mantras by the priests.

"President Draupadi Murmu arrived at Deoghar, the city of Gods. After this, the President reached the Baba Mandir and offered prayers and prayed to Baba Baidyanath for the happiness and prosperity of the country. The worship of Baba Baidyanath was done by the President through 'Shodshopachar' method," an official said, adding that Murmu was felicitated by the Temple Shrine Board.

Earlier the president was received by Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan at the Deoghar airport besides Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, MP Nishikant Dubey and others. The president is on a three-day visit to Jharkhand.

Murmu is the fourth President after Dr Rajendra Prasad, Pranab Mukherjee and Ram Nath Kovind to have offered prayers at Baba Baidyanath temple while holding the highest constitutional post.

During the visit, the president will inaugurate the new complex of Jharkhand High Court, attend the second convocation of the IIIT in Ranchi and participate in a programme in Khunti.

This is her second visit to the state after assuming the office of the president.

"The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu will visit Jharkhand from May 24 to 26, 2023. On May 24, 2023, the President will inaugurate the new building of the High Court of Jharkhand at Ranchi. On May 25, 2023, the President will grace a Women Conference organized by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs at Khunti," a statement from the President's Secretariat said.

"She will also grace the 2nd convocation of the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Ranchi at Namkum, Ranchi. On the same evening, she will attend a civic reception to be hosted in her honour by the Government of Jharkhand at Raj Bhavan, Ranchi," it added.

From Deoghar, Murmu arrived in Ranchi at Birsa Munda airport in the afternoon where she was greeted by Governor Radhakrishnan and Chief Minister Hemant Soren. From the Ranchi airport, she headed to Birsa Chowk to garland the statue of Birsa Munda and then proceeded to Albert Ekka Chowk where she will pay tribute to martyr Lance Naik Paramveer Albert Ekka, and then proceed to the Raj Bhavan.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Soren in a tweet said: "We accord a grand welcome and johar (greetings) to President Droupadi Murmu on the pious land of Dharti Aba Bhagwan Birsa Munda."

The president is scheduled to inaugurate the new building of the Jharkhand High Court in Dhurwa at 5 pm. The High Court campus built on an area of 165 acres of land is considered one of the largest in the country in terms of area.

The High Court building has been built at a cost of Rs 550 crore.

Murmu will visit Khunti district on May 25.

"On May 25, the president will address a convention of women associated with the Self Help Group (SHG). In the evening, she will attend the convocation ceremony of IIIT-Ranchi," an official said.

Hoardings and banners have been put up in the state capital to welcome her.

Murmu was the governor of Jharkhand from 2015 to 2021.

Security arrangements have been beefed up in Ranchi and Khunti in view of her visit, officials said. Ranchi City SP Subhanshu Jain said 3,000 police constables and 900 officers have been deployed in the city.