President Droupadi Murmu Thursday began her three-day visit to her home district of Mayurbhanj in Odisha.
Murmu was given a ceremonial welcome at the Badampahad helipad by Governor Ganeshi Lal, Union Minister Bisheswar Tudu, Odisha steel and mines minister Prafulla Mallick and local MLAs.
After reaching her native place, Murmu walked down the road for about half-a-kilometer and met people, including tribal men, women and children, waiting eagerly on both sides of the road to greet the daughter of the soil.
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They waved at her as she travelled to her in-law's house at Pahadpur village in Rairangpur sub-division, about five kilometer from the helipad. .
Scores of hoardings and banners were put up in Rairangpur and Pahadpur to welcome her.
About 1,500 police persons led by 100 officers were deployed at different locations in view of the presidential visit, a senior official said.
This is Murmu’s maiden visit to Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj district, which is also her birthplace, after assuming the highest constitutional post of the country and became the first tribal president of the country.
At Pahadpur she garlanded her late husband Shyam Charan Murmu’s statue and visited the SLS Memorial School in the area.
The president is slated attend the convocation of Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University in Baripada and also visit the Similipal Tiger Reserve during her three-day stay.
"This will be the first visit by any president to Similipal National Park," an official said.
She will also inaugurate a 100-ft tall flagmast for hoisting the tricolour near Badabandha, near Rairangpur.