BERHAMPUR: President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday offered prayers at Baba Dhabaleswar temple near Berhampur before departing for Bhubaneswar on the final day of her Odisha visit.
The President spent the night at the Army Air Defence College in Golabandha. At daybreak, she walked to the nearby temple where she performed rituals and sought the blessings of Lord Dhabaleswar. She later returned to the Army College before leaving for Berhampur Railway Station.
Murmu departed for Bhubaneswar at 10.20 am aboard the specially designated ‘President Special’ train. Elaborate security arrangements were put in place for the President’s nearly 170-km rail journey.
Escort trains were deployed ahead of and behind the President’s train, while all other train movements along the route were suspended during the journey. Personnel from the Special Protection Group (SPG), Odisha Police, Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) maintained a multi-layered security cover at stations, bridges, tracks and other vulnerable locations.
Anti-sabotage checks, Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs), sniper deployment and real-time intelligence monitoring were also part of the security arrangements. Senior officials from the Governor’s Office, Chief Minister’s Office, Indian Railways, Odisha Police and the district administration monitored the President’s movement throughout the journey.
After arriving in Bhubaneswar, Murmu left for New Delhi aboard a special Indian Air Force aircraft.