President Droupadi Murmu pays obeisance at Baba Baidyanath temple in Jharkhand's Deoghar

President Droupadi Murmu visited the Baba Baidyanath temple in Jharkhand's Deoghar district and performed special prayers at the temple on Wednesday, which is one of the 12 'jyotirlingas'. She performed the prayers assisted by a team of priests, amid tight security in the temple complex.

As security was tightened in view of the president's visit, devotees were barred from entering the temple from 6am to 10:30am on Wednesday.

According to a PTI report, Baidyanath Temple officials said Murmu performed a special puja in the temple amid the chanting of Vedic mantras by the priests.


The president is currently on a three-day visit to the state and was received by Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan at the Deoghar airport.

As part of the visit, she will inaugurate the new complex of Jharkhand High Court, attend the second convocation of the IIIT in Ranchi and participate in a programme in Khunti.

This is her second visit to the state after assuming the office of the president.

"The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu will visit Jharkhand from May 24 to 26, 2023. On May 24, 2023, the President will inaugurate the new building of the High Court of Jharkhand at Ranchi. On May 25, 2023, the President will grace a Women Conference organized by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs at Khunti," a statement from the President's Secretariat said.

"She will also grace the 2nd convocation of the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Ranchi at Namkum, Ranchi. On the same evening, she will attend a civic reception to be hosted in her honour by the Government of Jharkhand at Raj Bhavan, Ranchi," it added.

From Deoghar, Murmu will arrive in Ranchi in the afternoon. From the Ranchi airport, she will head to Birsa Chowk to garland the statue of Birsa Munda and then travel to Albert Ekka Chowk where she will pay tribute to Lance Naik Albert Ekka, and then go to the Raj Bhavan.

The president is scheduled to inaugurate the new building of the Jharkhand High Court in Dhurwa at 5 pm. The High Court campus built on an area of 165 acres of land is considered one of the largest in the country in terms of area.

Murmu will visit Khunti district on May 25.

"On May 25, the president will address a convention of women associated with the Self Help Group (SHG). In the evening, she will attend the convocation ceremony of IIIT-Ranchi," an official said.

Security arrangements have been beefed up in Deoghar, Ranchi and Khunti in view of her visit, officials said. Ranchi City SP Subhanshu Jain said 3,000 police constables and 900 officers have been deployed in the city.

(With inputs from PTI)