Mathura, 20

March (HS): President Droupadi Murmu, who is on a three-day visit to Uttar

Pradesh, visited Premanand ji Maharaj on Friday at his ashram Radha Keli Kunj

in Mathura. Officials say the president listened to the saint's discourse. Droupadi

Murmu also performed prayers at the Baba Neem Karoli Ashram in Vrindavan. She

did darshan at the Lord Hanuman temple on the ashram grounds. She also

presented the Lord a laddu weighing around 50 kg. Twenty devotees chanted

Sunder Kaand during prayers, according to Radha Krishan Pathak, president of

Neem Karoli Baba Ashram in Vrindavan.

Murmu also

offered prayers and performed aarti at Baba Neem Karori Ji Maharaj's Samadhi.

She

pondered in isolation in the 'kutia' (chamber) where Baba Neem Karori ji

Maharaj stayed and meditated, and visited an exhibition about his life before

leaving the ashram, according to Pathak.

Later in

the day, she plans to visit Vrindavan's Udiya Baba Ashram and Davanal Kund. The

President will also open the new Oncology Block of the Ramakrishna Mission

Sevashram (Charitable Hospital) in Vrindavan and pay a visit to Vatsalya. On

March 21, President Murmu will visit Danghati Mandir in Govardhan for 'darshan'

and 'aarti'. She will also do Govardhan Parikrama. On Thursday evening, the

president arrived in Mathura. When she landed at the Cantt helipad, Governor

Anandiben Patel, UP ministers, and other officials welcomed her. She began with

a 'darshan' in the ISKCON temple in Vrindavan, followed by 'aarti'. On her

first day in Prem Mandir, the President also experienced one of the temple's

main attractions, the laser display. She later visited the Radha Krishna shrine

to seek blessings. She followed procedures to honour the deity and performed

'aarti' in the evening.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi