Droupadi Murmu took oath as India's 15th President on Monday. (PTI Photo)
Droupadi Murmu, the first tribal President of India, posted "Johar! Namaskar!" as the first tweet on the official handle of Rashtrapati Bhavan after taking oath on Monday.
Here are five points on the President's greeting:
The term "Johar" or "Juhar" has a tribal origin and is commonly used by people of Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. The tribal community living in these states uses the word to greet each other.
Just like Namaskar, "Johar" is also used along with folded hands to greet people, or in case of elders, by touching their feet.
"Juhar" is also one of the rituals of Nuakhai, an agricultural festival celebrated to welcome the new crop. It is a combination of two words - 'nua' means 'new' and 'khai' means 'to eat'.
The festival is celebrated primarily in Western Odisha, southern Chhattisgarh and adjoining areas of Simdega (in Jharkhand).
Greeting the people of the country with "Johar, Namaskar", the President said in her tweet Indians' wishes would give her strength to fulfil her duties in the highest office. She was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana. Former president Ram Nath Kovind, outgoing Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi were present for the ceremony.
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