President of India : President Draupadi Murmu reached the temple of Lord Jagannath by walking barefoot for 2 km

President Draupadi Murmu walked about 2 km on the Grand Road in Puri, Odisha, to the 12th century Lord Jagannath temple and prayed for the welfare of the country. Due to Murmu's visit, the temple was kept closed for the general public from 10:30 am to 1 pm. However, hundreds of devotees lined up on both sides of the road leading to the temple to greet the President.

Draupadi Murmu, who hails from Odisha's Mayurbhaj district and hails from a tribal community, touched the 34-feet tall Arun Pillar in front of the temple's lion gate. He offered prayers on his knees before the idols of Lord Jagannath, Goddess Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra. The President, who arrived in Bhubaneswar earlier in the day, stunned her security personnel when she stopped her convoy in the middle and got down from the vehicle and started walking towards the temple on foot like a normal devotee. She was walking with her hands up while hailing Lord Jagannath. He also accepted the greetings of the people standing in the way.

On his way to the temple, Murmu reached out to the students of Utkal Hindi Vidyalaya waiting on the side of the Grand Road and interacted with them and their teachers. He also posed for photos with the children. Murmu herself has worked as a teacher in the 1990s. Upon his arrival at the Singhdwar, the President was received by Gajapati Maharaja Dibya Singh Deo of Puri, temple priests and government officials. Dev presented him a painting on behalf of the temple. When the Gajapati Maharaja expressed displeasure at the President saying Namaste, Murmu said, "You are the first servant of Lord Jagannath and the embodiment of God."

Draupadi Murmu, expressing his reverence to the deity, washed his feet at the Singhdwara and entered the temple like ordinary devotees. He touched all the 22 stairs with his hand while going to the temple. This information was given by the President's family priest Rajratan Mohapatra. The priest said, "We accompanied the President till the sanctum sanctorum where he lit the lamp and prayed for about 15 minutes." A garland of hibiscus flowers is offered at the Bimala temple. The President was accompanied by his daughter Itishree.

In a rare gesture, President Droupadi Murmu walked about two kilometers to seek the blessings of Lord Jagannath at Puri. Devotees greeted the President on her way to the temple. pic.twitter.com/b6C8IQQZnr

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) November 10, 2022