President Droupadi Murmu spends time at beach in Puri, day after witnessing Rath Yatra

Puri: President Droupadi Murmu, who is on a four-day visit to Odisha, spent some time at a sea beach in Puri on Monday morning.

She witnessed the annual Rath Yatra in the coastal pilgrim town on Sunday.

Later, she penned her thoughts about her experience of being in close commune with nature.

"There are places that bring us in closer touch with the essence of life and remind us that we are part of nature. Mountains, forests, rivers and seashores appeal to something deep within us. As I walked along the seashore today, I felt a communion with the surroundings – the gentle wind, the roar of the waves, and the immense expanse of water. It was a meditative experience," Murmu posted on X.

There are places that bring us in closer touch with the essence of life and remind us that we are part of nature. Mountains, forests, rivers and seashores appeal to something deep within us. As I walked along the seashore today, I felt a communion with the surroundings – the… pic.twitter.com/mWJ7ya3XLY

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 8, 2024

She said it brought her a profound inner peace that she had also felt when she had a darshan of Lord Jagannath on Sunday.

Stating that she was not alone in having such an experience, Murmu said, "All of us can feel that way when we encounter something that is far larger than us, that sustains us and that makes our lives meaningful." In the hustle and bustle of the daily grind, people lose this connection with Mother Nature. Humankind believes it has mastered nature and is exploiting it for its own short-term benefits and the result is for all to see, the President said.

Murmu said many parts of India suffered a terrible series of heatwaves during this summer.

Extreme weather events have become more frequent around the globe in recent years. The situation is projected to be far worse in the decades to come, she said.

"More than 70 per cent of the surface of the Earth is made up of oceans, and global warming is leading to a rise in global sea levels, threatening to submerge coastal areas. The oceans and the rich variety of flora and fauna found there have suffered heavily due to different kinds of pollution," she stated.

More than seventy percent of the surface of the earth is made up of oceans, and global warming is leading to a rise in global sea levels, threatening to submerge coastal areas. The oceans and the rich variety of flora and fauna found there have suffered heavily due to different… pic.twitter.com/ifp1TeW5Uh

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 8, 2024

Murmu said, fortunately, people living in the nature's lap have sustained traditions that can show us the way..

Inhabitants of coastal areas, for example, know the language of the winds and waves of the sea. Following our ancestors, they worship the sea as God, she added.

"There are two ways, I believe, to meet the challenge of protection and conservation of the environment; broader steps that can come from governments and international organisations, and smaller, local steps that we can take as citizens. The two are, of course, complementary. Let us pledge to do what we can do – individually, locally – for the sake of a better tomorrow. We owe it to our children," the President wrote on X.

The President arrived in Bhubaneswar on July 6 evening on a four-day visit to her native state of Odisha. She witnessed Rath Yatra in Puri on Sunday and spent the night and morning in the pilgrim town.