TIRUMALA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala on Sunday evening. Upon his arrival at the temple, Modi was accorded a grand traditional reception amidst chanting of Vedic hymns by the priests. TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal and Tirumala JEO KS Srinivasa Raju escorted him to the sanctum sanctorum.
Clad in a traditional attire, the Prime Minister also paid obeisance at the sub-shrines of Sri Yoga Narasimha Swamy and Sri Ramajujacharya besides the golden Vimana Venkateswara, the sacred golden altar, the golden holy mast (Dwajastambham) inside the shrine. He also made offerings in the temple hundi.
The executive officer presented a sacred silk cloth besides a memento of Lord Venkateswara and laddu prasadam to the Prime Minister at Ranganayakula Mandapam. The priests rendered Vedasirvachanam on Modi.
Earlier, Governor ESL Narasimhan, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy and others received the Prime Minister at the Renigunta airport after he landed from Colombo.
This is Modi’s first visit to the hill shrine after becoming the Prime Minister for the second consecutive term. He had earlier visited the shrine in his capacity as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the saffron party in May 2014 and also as Prime Minister in October 2015 and January 2017.After offering prayers at the hill shrine, Modi flew back to New Delhi.