President Pranab Mukherjee who arrived at his ancestral home at Mirati in Birbhum district today said that he would perform all the Durga puja rituals for worshipping the family deity, Devi Durga.

"I would perform all the rituals of the puja as usual as I did every year as a member of Mukherjee family. I will also chant from Chandi path for three days as I do every year," Mukherjee told reporters in front of the Durga temple of his ancestral house here.

The President also wished "peace and enrichment for all the people."

Mukherjee said, "Our family Durga puja is not as old as some of those family pujas. But it is 118 years old puja. It has become a family practice, some sort of family tradition. That is why I come here every year. Sometimes it happened I could not come during Durga puja."

When asked about the schedule and restriction regarding his Durga puja visit this time he said, "there will be some restriction, some sort of self-imposed restriction."

"Earlier I was photographed in the costume of a priest but this time I cannot do that. That is why we have requested all of you not to click photographs of me on camera or mobile camera," he said.

The President flew to Kirnahar, 240 KM from Kolkata, in a helicopter with his wife Subhra and spent around 20 minutes with his elder sister Annapurna Banerjee.

From Kirnahar, he drove the three kilometre distance to his ancestral house at Mirati.

Earlier, in Kolkata he met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the VIP lounge of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport after arriving from Delhi by a special aircraft of the Indian Air Force.

The President was received by Governor M K Narayanan, the chief minister and high officials.