President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday embarked on a three-day visit to Odisha for various official engagements.

For the first time after assuming the office of President, Murmu visited her home district Mayurbhanj. Accompanied by her daughter, she landed at the Badampahar helipad in an IAF chopper on Thursday morning.

Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal, Minister Prafulla Kumar Mallick, Union Minister Bisweshwar Tudu and other dignitaries welcomed Murmu at the helipad.

Breaking protocol, the President preferred to walk half a km to meet her villagers and fans, who were waving at her at the helipad, before moving towards her in-laws’ village Pahadpur, where she laid a wreath at the statue of her husband late Shyam Charan Murmu.

She also laid foundation-stones of a community centre at the SLS Trust School to be built by NABARD and a skill development centre. She spent some time with school students and villagers at her in-laws’ village.

Murmu also visited the Brahma Kumaris Centre, Hatbadra, Satapautia, where she launched an ‘Addition-Free Odisha’ campaign. She attended some other programmes, including inauguration of a 100-feet-tall flag mast hoisting the National Flag near Badabandha.

On May 5, Murmu will go to her Rairangpur residence and spend about 20 minutes in the holiday home. From there, she will visit Pandit Raghunath Murmu’s village Dandbosh and later gp to the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) and spend the night at Baripada. For her visit, the STR has remained closed to visitors for two days (May 4 and 5).

On May 6, she will reach the Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanjadeo (MSCB) University, Baripada, where she will deliver the convocation address.

Then, the President will fly back to the Kalaikunda Airport in West Bengal, from where she will return to Delhi.