PM, President offer prayers at tribal sacred sites in Odisha

President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday offered prayers at tribal sacred sites, including Gosani Peeth and the Santhali and Ho Jaheras, at Pahadpur village in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.

The PM’s visit to Pahadpur, the native village of the president’s late husband Shyam Charan Murmu, was held amid unprecedented security arrangements and away from media glare.

Murmu, who was already present in the village, received the prime minister on his arrival. Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome by residents, with drumbeats, flowers and traditional tribal dances.

The president and the PM first visited Gosani Peeth, then walked to the Santhali and Ho Jaheras, where they planted saplings.

While Jaheras are sacred groves where tribal deities are worshipped, Gosani is associated with prayers offered to ancestors, said Damayanti Beshra, an Ol Chiki scholar.

“It was an unforgettable day for the tribals of Odisha. Both the President and the PM offered prayers at tribal sacred groves,” Beshra said.

As part of the customary ritual, Murmu, Modi and members of their security detail were offered traditional Santhali garments before entering the Jahera, located amid trees.

The two leaders later visited a school established by Murmu in memory of her late husband and her two sons, Laxman and Sipun. Shyam Charan Murmu and the couple’s two sons died before Murmu became India’s first tribal president in 2022.

Modi paid floral tributes at the statue of Shyam Charan Murmu and also interacted with students at the school and the Skill Centre in Pahadpur. The leaders also visited an exhibition showcasing tribal products.

The village was decorated with flowers, tribal motifs and traditional artwork on mud walls. Children and women lined the streets to welcome the two leaders, while cut-outs and hoardings of Murmu and Modi were put up across the village.