President Murmu to visit Puri for pind daan and Jagannath Temple prayers

Bhubaneswar: State govt on Tuesday fine-tuned arrangements ahead of President Droupadi Murmu’s scheduled visit to Puri, where she will perform ‘pind daan’ on Feb 4, praying for the peace of souls of her ancestors. On the same day, she is also expected to offer prayers at Jagannath Temple.The president will embark on a five-day tour of Odisha from Feb 2 to 7, attending several programmes in Balasore, Jajpur and Mayurbhanj districts.As per her tentative itinerary, she will arrive in Puri on the evening of Feb 3. The next morning, around 7 am, she will perform ‘pind daan’ at the Swetaganga tank. A team of senior police officers led by ADG Sanjeeb Panda reviewed security arrangements at the site on Tuesday. Sources said the president is also expected to perform ‘pind daan’ at the Biraja temple in Jajpur district on Feb 3.The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) convened a meeting on Tuesday to finalise rituals and other preparations for her visit.After completing the puja and ‘pind daan’ rituals for her ancestors, the president is scheduled to reach the Jagannath Temple around 7:40 am and spend nearly 40 minutes offering prayers. As per protocol, the temple will remain closed to devotees from 6 am until her departure at 8:20 am.“We are ready with all arrangements. Only duty-bound servitors and staff will remain inside the temple. Rituals will continue as usual, though public darshan will be restricted for a few hours during her visit,” said Arabinda Kumar Padhee, chief administrator of SJTA. This will be President Murmu’s fourth visit to the temple.