Prez Droupadi Murmu’s Odisha visit: Similipal to be out of bounds for visitors for 2 days

The Similipal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj district will remain out of bounds for tourists for two days in view of President Droupadi Murmu’s scheduled visit to the reserve.

Murmu will be on a three-day visit to the state starting May 4.

According to sources, the tiger reserve will remain closed on May 4 and 5 as President Murmu will visit the national park on May 5 and will spend the entire day inside the sanctuary.

President Murmu’s visit to the national park, a tiger reserve that covers an area of 2,750 km, will be the first by a President of the country, sources added.

Notably, President Murmu will pay a three-day visit to her home district from May 4 and visit her in-law's village Pahadpur in Rairangpur sub-division.

The president will reach Kalaikunda Air Force station in West Bengal on May 4, from where she will travel by helicopter to Badampahar helipad and reach Pahadpur the same day, the official said.

Murmu had visited the state twice earlier after assuming office in July 2022 and this time her visit will be confined to Mayurbhanj district.

According to the schedule made available to the media, the President will visit the memorial of her husband Shyamcharan Murmu and her two sons and attend various programmes at Rairangpur. She is also slated to lay the foundation stones for two projects at Pahadpur and spend the night at Rairangpur Inspection Bungalow, the officials said.

Murmu will visit Baripada, the district headquarters town of Mayurbhanj and attend the convocation of Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University the next day before winding up her visit.