Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday offered prayers at the hill temple of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala.
Cladded in white dhoti and sporting ‘Tilakam’ (religious insignia) on his forehead Modi arrived at the main entrance of the hill temple where he was received with the traditional ‘Isti kapal’ temple honours and led into the sanctum sanctorum.
He spent for about ten minutes inside the sanctum and paid his obeisances to the presiding deity.
The chief priest who explained him the significance of the deity and importance of the place also honoured him with the silk vastrams of Lord.
Later amid chanting of vedasirvachanams by temple priests TTD Chairman B. Karunakar reddy, Executive Officer AV Dharma presented him with laddu theertha prasadams and the New Year Diary and Calendars.
Soon after the darshan he returned to his guest house where he was housed the previous night.
After a brief stay at the guest house he is scheduled to motor down to Tirupati and fly back to Hyderabad to take part in the election campaigning.