Prez Murmu arrives in Kovai to attend Isha Mahashivratri celebration

CHENNAI: President Droupadi Murmu has arrived at the Coimbatore airport on Saturday and is set to grace the Mahashivratri celebration organised by the Isha Foundation in the city. She is reported to have arrived in the city on a private flight from Madurai.

According to the reports, Murmu would be the Chief guest at the function. She is set to depart from the festival at around 7:30 pm and rest for the night at Government Guest House at Racecourse Coimbatore. Murmu is also said to take a helicopter from Coimbatore airport tomorrow at 9 am to Wellington Military Centre, Coonoor in Nilgiris District., where she will pay respect by placing a wreath at the war memorial. At 12.00 pm tomorrow, she is scheduled to take a helicopter and arrive at the Coimbatore airport, from where she will fly back to Delhi.

5 layer police security and around 1,900 policemen have been deployed in Coimbatore ahead of Murmu's visit. 3,100 policemen in the suburbs and a total of 5,000 policemen are engaged in security purposes across the district, according to a Daily Thanthi report.

Sources also added that strict orders to ban drones from flying in Coimbatore today and tomorrow are also been issued.

Earlier today, Murmu visited Madurai's Meenakshi Amman temple to have the darshan of Lord Meenakshi Amman and greeted the public, who were waiting outside the temple to see her.

On Saturday, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi extended a hearty welcome to the President, who is on a two-day visit to the state, starting today. "Governor Ravi, on behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu, extends a hearty welcome to our Hon'ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, on her first visit to this spiritual land of Saints, Sages and Poets," the Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan tweeted.

On February 19, Murmu will visit the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington and address the members of the 78th Staff Course.