Agra, Sept. 26 -- President Droupadi Murmu offered prayers at temples in the twin cities of Mathura and Vrindavan during a daylong visit on Thursday. She began her visit with prayers at Banke Bihari temple and concluded her tour at the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi shrine. The President arrived on a special train from Delhi at the Vrindavan Road station at 10 am. Mathura district magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh said the President was welcomed by Uttar Pradesh minister for sugarcane development and sugar industry Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary and mayor Vinod Kumar Agarwal, along with senior administrative and police officials. ADG (Agra zone) Anupam Kulshrestha and Agra divisional commissioner Shailendra Kumar were also present on the occasion. Accompanied by her daughter, son-in-law and their children, Murmu visited the Banke Bihari temple where 'sevayat' (priest) Shailendra Goswami helped the guests in offering prayers. The temple was specially decorated with exotic flowers from across the country, and rose perfume from Kannauj was sprinkled throughout the premises, filling the air with fragrance. The special 'itra' (perfume) was brought for the 'dehri poojan,' a ritual to worship the floor of the temple. To ensure the President's safety during the visit, especially from the local monkey population, the district administration deployed forest department personnel armed with slingshots and air guns on the rooftops around the temple and the surrounding area. No untoward incidents were reported. The President was provided 'prasad' as she left after a 35-minute stay at the temple. Following her visit to the Banke Bihari temple, the President proceeded to Nidhivan, the sacred grove where the idol of Radha Rani was discovered by her devotee, Swami Haridas and where his samadhi is located. The President offered prayers and made offerings. She also performed a 500-metre circumambulation (Parikrama) of the site. Later, the President inaugurated the Bhajan Kuti (meditation hut) at Sudama Kuti Ashram on the Parikrama Marg, established by Sant Sudama Das Maharaj. She offered prayers at the ashram and also planted a Parijaat sapling on its premises. She also attended 'Gau-Pujan'. After having lunch and a brief rest at a hotel in Vrindavan, the President left for Mathura to visit the Shri Kubja-Krishna Temple, according to a statement from the President's Office. The highlight was her visit to Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi, considered the birthplace of Lord Krishna. The President reached the 'garbh-grah' (sanctum sanctorum) believed to be the prison cell, where Lord Krishna was born. She offered prayers at Bhagwat Bhawan and was presented with a specially prepared portrait at Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi. The district administration had made elaborate arrangements for the President's visit. Schools till Class 12 were closed on Thursday because of route diversions. The Mathura airspace was declared a no fly-zone since Tuesday evening. Security personnel were called in from nearby districts and director general of police Rajeev Krishna was there earlier this week to review preparations....