Sri Lanka PM Rajapaksa worships at Lord Venkateswara temple – PTI

Tirupati: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa offered prayers at the ancient hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala near here on Friday, Indian News Agency PTI reported.

The 76-year old Rajapaksa accompanied by his wife Shiranthi flew in here on Thursday afternoon on a more than 24-hour long spiritual journey to the hills, a temple official said.

After an overnight stay at a heavily guarded guest house on the hills, the Lankan Prime Minister, clad in traditional attire visited the shrine at the crack of dawn and paid his obeisance to the presiding deity of Lord Venkateswara, a temple official told PTI.

Rajapaksa also made an offering in the ‘hundi’ (offering box) at the shrine.

Earlier, upon arrival at the ‘Mahadwaram’ of the shrine, Rajapaksa was accorded a grand traditional reception by Vedic priests along with top functionaries of the shrine, the official said.

After worship, the high priests of the shrine, amid chanting of Vedic hymns, bestowed blessings upon the Rajapaksa couple at the sprawling Sri Ranganayaka Mandapam at the hill shrine, the official said.

The Lankan PM was also presented a portrait of Lord Venkateswara and laddu prasadam by the temple management, the official said.

In the past, Rajapaksa has worshipped at the ancient hill shrine in his capacity as the country’s President and now as the Prime Minister of the island nation, the official said.

This is Rajapaksa’s second visit to the temple as Prime Minister, the official said.