Mathura, Sep 25 (IANS): President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday visited Mathura and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh, where she offered prayers at prominent temples during her day-long stay.
The President performed darshan and pooja at Shri Banke Bihari Temple, Nidhivan, Sudama Kuti, Kubja Krishan Mandir, and Shri Krishna Janmasthan. She arrived in Vrindavan by a special train from Delhi, amid elaborate arrangements by the district administration and the Municipal Corporation.
The visit carried special significance as it coincided with the centenary celebrations of the Shri Nabha Krishna Sudama Kuti Ashram. Invited by the Mahant of the Ashram, President Murmu also participated in rituals and was scheduled to spend around 20 minutes in dialogue with saints and sages. Preparations are also underway to establish a Ram Darbar at the Ashram in her presence.
Ahead of her arrival, senior officials including Uttar Pradesh DGP Rajiv Krishna and Additional Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar reviewed the security arrangements at Mathura and Vrindavan. Security at Shri Krishna Janmasthan and other key sites was intensified, while traffic diversions remained in place from 7 a.m. until her departure. At the Banke Bihari Temple, special prayers and silver lamps were lit before the President’s convoy proceeded towards Nidhivan.
This spiritual tour follows her recent visit to Gaya on September 20, where she performed the sacred ‘pind daan’ and ‘shraaddh’ rituals at Vishnupad Temple and Phalgu Akshayavat during the renowned Pitru Paksha Mela. It was the first time in Indian history that a sitting President performed pind daan, a rite believed to grant salvation to departed ancestors.
President Murmu, who hails from Upar Beda village in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, carried out the Gaya rituals under the guidance of Rajesh Lal Katariar, the keeper of her family’s ancestral records.
