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President worships Lord Balaji
Highlights
President Pranab Mukherjee, accompanied by Governor ESL Narasimhan and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu offered prayers to Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala Hills on Friday.
Tirupati: President Pranab Mukherjee, accompanied by Governor ESL Narasimhan and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu offered prayers to Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala Hills on Friday.
Following age-old tradition, on his visit to the shrine this time, he first visited Sri Varaha Swamy temple on the banks of Pushkarani and offered prayers to the God. According to Hindu mythology and belief of the devout, it was Lord Varaha Swamy, the native God of Tirumala who offered Lord Venkateswara a place beside his shrine and hence the devotees made it a practice to visit Varaha Swamy first before offering prayers to Lord Venkateswara, as a token of gesture to one who provided shelter to the presiding deity of Seven hills. Mukherjee after sprinkling the waters of the Pushkarnini over his head, went to Varahaswamy temple.
At the Mahadwaram (main entrance) of Tirumala shrine, the President who came in traditional dress was welcomed with `Isthikapal’ honour by the priests and Vedic Pundits and was conducted into the sanctum sanctorum. The President offered prayers with devotion in the sanctorum before being taken in Pradakshinam to Ranganayakula mantapam while the chief priest Ramana Deekshithulu explained to him the Purana Prasthyam, giving the details in brief about the main deity and also other processional deities at the temple. Immediately after the darshan, the President was honoured with Melchat Vasthram, given Theertham and blessed with Satari by the chief priest. Mukherjee made offering in the temple Hundi. Before reaching Ranganayakula Mandapam, the President visited the sub-temples including Bhashyakarlu, Vakulamatha, Vimana Venkateswara and Yoga Narasimha Swamy.
In the Ranganayakula Mandapam, the Pundits rendered Aasirvachanam amidst chanting of hymns from scriptures after which TTD chairman Ch Krishnamurthy, EO D Sambasiva Rao and JEO KS Srinivasa Raju offered Prasadam, laminated photo of the deity and TTD calendars to the first citizen of the nation. Tight security arrangements were made in Tirumala for the president’s visit.
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