President Murmu performs rudrabhishek at Uttarakhand Raj Bhavan temple

President Droupadi Murmu, on the second day of her two-day visit to Uttarakhand, on Friday, performed a "rudrabhishek" at the Raj Pragyeshwar Mahadev Temple inside the Raj Bhavan here. She also inaugurated the Nakshatra Vatika at the governor's official residence.

Uttarakhand Governor Lieutenant General Gurmeet Singh (Retd.), his wife Gurmeet Kaur, along with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami were also present. President Murmu on Friday is scheduled to address the valedictory function of the 97th Common Foundation Course at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie.

She will also attend the annual convocation ceremony of Doon University here in the state capital during the day. On Thursday, after reaching the hill state, the President praised Uttarakhand for its immense possibilities for 'nature tourism', 'adventure tourism' as well as 'medical tourism'.

She attended a civic reception hosted in her honour by the State Government here on Thursday evening. President Murmu also virtually inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for various projects related to healthcare, power generation and supply, technical education and transport, on the occasion. Chief Minister Dhami presented a shawl made from Kandali fibre to the President. She was also presented with a memento made of a mixture of Uttarakhand's folk art style Thape and Aipan.

Addressing a gathering, the President said that the contribution of the land and the people of Uttarakhand to Mother India are immense."Uttarakhand is the source of many rivers that have irrigated and developed a large part of India. The Himalayas and Uttarakhand are embedded in the hearts and souls of Indians. Our sages have been taking shelter in the caves and caverns of the Himalayas in search of knowledge. This state has been a source of wellness, both in terms of spiritual peace and physical healing," she said.

"The state has immense possibilities for 'nature tourism', 'adventure tourism' as well as 'medical tourism'," she said. Remembering the contributions of brave soldiers of Uttarakhand in India's defence, the President said that on behalf of the people of India, she would express her gratitude to the brave sons of Uttarakhand."The entire Himalayan land, including Uttarakhand, has been the centre of Shakti worship since time immemorial. A part of the same dignity and strength is found in the life stories of brave-woman like Rani Karnavati, forest conservators like Gaura Devi and like Bachendri Pal, the first woman to hoist the tricolour on Mount Everest," said the President.

She was happy to note that the young daughters of Uttarakhand are also moving forward on the path of progress. The President said that we are celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. It is our duty to remember the known and unknown freedom fighters. She recalled the contributions of Bishni Devi Shah, Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali, Dev Suman, Kesari Chand, Indramani Badoni and Govind Ballabh Pant.She said that efforts should be made to acquaint the young generation of the entire country with the contribution of these personalities of Uttarakhand.

In the context of the younger generation, the President mentioned Lakshya Sen, who was conferred with the Arjuna Award and said that the 21-year-old Sen sets an ideal for the youth of the entire nation to aim towards achieving excellence in their respective fields.

The President said that she was happy to lay the foundation stones and inaugurate various projects related to healthcare, power generation and supply, technical education and transport. She also appreciated the people of Uttarakhand and said that the hardworking and talented residents of the state have contributed significantly to its developmental journey.