Bhubaneswar: President Droupadi Murmu will witness the Rath Jatra of Lord Jagannath and his siblings at Puri on July 7.
The President will attend several programs during her four-day visit to Odisha, starting on July 6. On the evening of July 6, the President will grace the 96th death anniversary of Pandit Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das at Jayadeb Bhawan here while on July 7, she will visit Puri to witness the Rath Jatra.
The President will stay the night in Puri and will go for a morning walk on Puri beach on the morning of July 8, after which she will return to Bhubaneswar.
As per schedule, the President will visit the Khandagiri Udayagiri caves and proceed to Bibhuti Kanungo College of Arts and Crafts, where she will interact with the students of the institute on July 8.
On the afternoon of July 8, President Shrimati Murmu will attend a program at the Divine Retreat Centre at Mendhasal Haridamada on the outskirts of the capital city.
On July 9, the President will attend the 13th convocation of the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) at Jatni before leaving for Delhi in the afternoon.
A preparatory review meeting in anticipation of the President’s visit was held here on Monday, chaired by Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja and attended by DGP Arun Sarangi, Development Commissioner Anu Garg, and Secretaries of various departments. Meeting sources said they discussed, among other things, the security and other arrangements for the President from her arrival in the state on July 6 to her departure to New Delhi on July 9.
Meanwhile, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said CM Mohan Charan Majhi will review all aspects of Rath Jatra at a crucial meeting to be held tomorrow. He informed that the VIP entry into the Jagannath temple has been restricted on Rath Jatra.
“This time, priority is being given to discipline, minimum amenities for women and resolving issues relating to VIP movement which usually create problems in the conduct of rituals on Rath Jatra,” he said.