President performs pinda daan in Puri, visits Jagannath temple

President Droupadi Murmu performed the pinda daan ritual at the revered ‘Sweta Ganga’ tank in Puri on Wednesday morning and then visited the Jagannath temple.

Murmu reached ‘Sweta Ganga’ at 7 am on the third day of her visit to the state after spending the night at the Lok Bhavan in Puri, and performed the ritual for the salvation of the souls of ancestors. After the rituals, the president reached the ‘Singhadwar’ of the 12th-century shrine at 7.40 am. She was received by Puri’s titular king, Gajapati Magaraja Dibyasingha Deb.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Arabinda Kumar Padhee were also present. The temple was out of bounds for the public in view of the president’s visit.

Murmu, accompanied by her family, visited the Garbha Griha or sanctum sanctorum of the temple through the Dhukudi Dwara (southern gate) and had darshan of the sibling deities — Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra. Padhee said this was Murmu’s fourth visit to the shrine after becoming the president.

“She prayed at the sanctum sanctorum, offered deepa, and visited the seats of Maa Bimala and Maa Laxami in the temple complex. A flag (patitapaban bana) was hoisted atop the temple by the administration, seeking fulfillment of the president’s wishes,” he said. After her darshan, the president walked to the people gathered in front of the temple and interacted with them. Elaborate security arrangements were made at the temple and in the Puri town for Murmu’s visit.

The temple administration presented Murmu a khandua (sacred cloth) and a ‘patachitra’ painting.

Murmu is scheduled to visit her native place, Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj district, later in the day.