Bhubaneswar: The hills of Mayurbhanj echoed with pure joy today as the first citizen of India, President Droupadi Murmu, returned to her roots in Pahadpur village, Mayurbhanj—her in-laws’ home, the place where she once became a bride.
In the simple, unpretentious lifestyle that defines this forest terrain, everyone—from children to elders—was beaming with happiness. The daughter of the soil arrived with full protocol and a heavy security cordon, yet the moment she stepped out of her car on the village street, protocol took a backseat to heartfelt emotion.
Walking on foot to Murmu Square, breaking from the usual government protocol, she reached the site near the memorial of her late husband, Shyam Charan Murmu. There, she lit a lamp and offered flowers with deep reverence. Memories of holding his hand as a young bride must have flooded back—the village that once witnessed her happiest days now stood as a quiet reminder of time passed, leaving her visibly moved and emotional.
After an intimate, tearful meeting with relatives and friends in the village, the President visited the sacred Gosani Peeth to pay her respects. She then proceeded to the holy site of Zahira, a place held in high reverence. To honour its sanctity, only a limited group accompanied her, and everyone—including her ADC—adhered to tradition by wearing tribal attire.True to tribal customs that revere nature, she planted saplings in the Zahira area, sending a gentle yet powerful message of environmental care and protection.
As the daughter-in-law of Pahadpur, she met villagers openly, chatting freely and warmly. In a touching moment that broke protocol once more, she graciously accepted a book gifted by an Odia immigrant from Mumbai.The President also visited the SLS and Shyam Laxman Sipun Memorial Residential School, which she founded in memory of her husband and two sons. There, she interacted warmly with students and teachers, garlanding the statues of her loved ones with quiet devotion.
Even while holding the highest office in the land, she remained grounded in humility and emotion. From Pahadpur, she headed to the Rairangpur Jagannath Temple, where she had darshan like any ordinary devotee—sitting before the Holy Trinity, offering prayers with folded hands and an open heart.
In a beautiful gesture of tradition, she arranged a Brahmin Bhoj, personally serving delicious food to eight Brahmins and offering them clothes as dakshina. Later in the day, the President left for Similipal, where she will spend the night before returning to Delhi tomorrow.
