President Droupadi Murmu to spend a whole day in Odisha’s Similipal Tiger Reserve

By Sudam Kumar Patra

Photo Caption: Tigers enjoying their time in Similipal Tiger Reserve in the evening

Balasore, May 2: President Droupadi Murmu will visit Similipal Tiger Reserve, a part of the Similipal National Park in Odisha’s Mayubhanj district, on May 5 and she will spend the entire day inside the sanctuary.

In view of the President’s visit, the Similipal Tiger Reserve will remain out of bounds for tourists for two days – from May 4 to 5.

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

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.

Mayurbhanj is President Murmu’s home district.

During her three-day visit to Mayurbhanj, she will pay visit her in-law’s village Pahadpur under 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 at Rairangpur and attend various programmes at Rairangpur.

In 2009, Droupadi Murmu lost his eldest son Laxman Murmu. His second son Biranchi died in 2012. Both of them were killed in road accidents. In 2014, the President lost her husband Shyam Charan Murmu.

The President is also slated to lay the foundation stones for two projects at Pahadpur and spend the night at Rairangpur Inspection Bungalow, the officials said. She 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.