Chandigarh, November 1
The President of India Droupadi Murmu, visited Maa Bhadrakali Shaktipeeth in Kurukshetra on Sunday and offered prayers for the happiness, peace, prosperity and well-being of all citizens. The President said the visit had given her a profound sense of peace and spiritual energy. She described the shrine as an important centre of India’s Sanatan culture and faith.
On her arrival at the temple complex, the President was warmly received by Haryana Governor Prof. Ashim Kumar Ghosh, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and the shrine’s Peethadhyaksha, Pandit Satpal Sharma, who welcomed her with bouquets.
The President performed traditional rituals at the ancient Devi Koop within the temple complex and undertook a parikrama of the shrine. She then offered prayers to Maa Bhadrakali in the sanctum sanctorum and participated in the aarti amid the chanting of sacred mantras.
Following the prayers, Pandit Satpal Sharma presented the President with a trident symbolising Shakti, an idol of the Goddess and a chunri. He offered her prasad and briefed her on the shrine’s history and spiritual significance.Pandit Satpal Sharma said the temple was revered as one of the 51 Shaktipeeths and, according to religious tradition, marked the site where Goddess Sati’s right knee fell. He spoke of the enduring belief that the Goddess blessed devotees and fulfilled their prayers. He also recounted the tradition that the Pandavas had worshipped at the shrine before the Mahabharata war to seek blessings for victory.