Miriti’s “Mukherjee Bhavan”, which has received a fresh coat of paint, is ready to receive President of India Pranab Mukherjee who will be arriving on Saturday to offer puja to his family deity, Devi Durga. Nearly 250 km from Kolkata, this small hamlet in Birbhum district is where Mr Mukherjee was born in this house. Huge security arrangements have been made not only in this village but the entire district. According to sources, the West Bengal government is fielding over 1,000 police officers for the four-day sojourn of the President in his ancestral village.
In Kinnahar village, Mr Mukherjee’s elder sister Annapurna Devi’s house Rajlakshmi Bhavan has also been decked up. Kinnahar is three kilometre from Miriti. After participating in the day-long rituals on Sashti, Saptami, Ashtami and Nabami, Mr Mukherjee goes to his favourite sister’s house for a night’s stay. Tough security measures are also in place even around the ghat of the canal where Mr Mukherjee will perform the Kolabou snan before starting the puja.
Mr Mukherjee will arrive at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at around 3.40 pm in his special aircraft. From Dum Dum, he will fly to Miriti in an IAF helicopter. In the past, Mr Mukherjee stayed in his ancestral village till Dashami. However, according to the protocol, the President of India will have to attend the Dussehra programme at Ram Lila Maidan in Delhi. Mr Mukherjee therefore will conclude his Miriti-Kinnahar visit on Nabami (October 23).
His ascent to the Rashtrapati Bhavan will also result in another departure from tradition. In the past, he himself used to recite the Chandipath. However, this year because of the protocol, he will not be able to do so. However, he will sit by the side of the priest and participate in all the rituals on Saptami, Ashtami and Nabami.