CM Saini, President Murmu Seek Blessings at Kurukshetra Temple
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
At the sacred precincts of Shri Devikoop Bhadrakali Temple in Kurukshetra, President of India Draupadi Murmu offered prayers and performed the traditional puja-archana and aarti before Goddess Bhadrakali — with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Governor Prof. Asim Kumar Ghosh present alongside her on Sunday, November 1, 2026.
Sharing the moment on X, CM Saini wrote that he accompanied the President and the Governor to seek the blessings of Maa Bhadrakali, and that prayers were offered for the 'happiness, prosperity, and welfare' — 'sukh, samridhi evam kalyan' — of all residents of the state.
A Temple Woven Into India's Mythological Fabric
Kurukshetra, revered across India as dharmanagarī (the city of dharma), draws its sanctity from its central place in the Mahabharata. The Shri Devikoop Bhadrakali Temple, dedicated to a fierce and protective form of the goddess, is among the city's most prominent shrines and has historically attracted dignitaries, pilgrims, and heads of state. President Murmu's personal conduct of the aarti — a hands-on ritual act rather than a ceremonial presence alone — added visible devotional weight to the visit.
President Murmu's Significance at the Altar
Draupadi Murmu, who took office as President of India in July 2022, is the first person from a tribal community to hold the nation's highest constitutional post. Her participation in religious ceremonies at prominent temples is a recurring feature of her public schedule — one that resonates both constitutionally, as a ceremonial head representing all of India, and personally, given her deeply expressed spiritual outlook. The Bhadrakali visit continues that pattern in one of Hinduism's most charged landscapes.
Chief Minister Saini, who assumed office in March 2024, has made cultural and religious engagement a visible strand of his governance in BJP-ruled Haryana. His accompaniment of the President at a high-profile temple visit reinforces Kurukshetra's status as more than a tourist circuit — it is, for the state government, a living civic and spiritual asset. For the millions of Haryana residents in whose name the prayers were offered, the image of the nation's President bowing before Maa Bhadrakali carries a message that travels well beyond the temple walls.