Tirumala: Union minister for commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, accompanied by family members, offered prayers to the Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala on Monday.

On their arrival, the minister was accorded a grand reception by the TTD chairman B R Naidu, addl EO Ch Venkaiah Chowdary and temple priests and was escorted him to the sanctum sanctorum.

Inside the sanctum sanctorum, priests explained to the Union minister the significance of the Lord and the jewels adorned to the presiding deity. The Union minister spent a few minutes praying before the presiding deity and later reached Ranganayakula Mandapam where he was accorded Vedasirvachanam by temple priests.

TTD chairman and addl EO offered the minister Lord’s silk vastram, prasadams and laminated photo of Lord Venkateswara.

AP ministers Anagani Satya Prasad, T G Bharat, TTD board members Dr Panabaka Lakshmi, Janga Krishnamurthy, M Santharam, Naresh Kumar, G Bhanuprakash Reddy, temple DyEO Lokanadham, reception officials Bhaskar, Satre Naik and others were present.