President Pranab Mukherjee today visited the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Yadadri in the Nalgonda district and took part in the special pujas performed.
President Pranab Mukherjee today paid a visit to Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Yadadri (Yadagirigutta) in the Nalgonda district and took part in the special pujas performed for the presiding deity.
The President, who is on his annual southern sojourn, had reached Yadadri by a helicopter.
The country's first citizen was accorded a rousing welcome by Telangana Endowments Minister Indrakaran Reddy, Temple EO Geetha and priests with a "Poorna Kumbham" amidst the chanting of Vedic hymns.
Governor E S L Narasimhan, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, ministers and others accompanied the President in the ritual that went on for about a couple of hours at the abode of Lord Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy.
Along with his son and MP Abhijith Mukherjee, the President offered silk clothes to the presiding deity, and also had a darshan of Goddess Lakshmi and Sri Anjaneya Swamy.
Mukherjee is the fourth Indian President to visit Yadagirigutta. The first President Rajendra Prasad had visited the temple in 1959, and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan visited it in 1963. Shankar Dayal Sharma had prayed at Yadgirigutta in 1995.
The Chief Minister presented attractive photographs of the Lord and the Yadadri Development Authority to the President, and took the latter's blessings by touching his feet.
KCR briefed Mukherjee of his government's plans to develop the temple on par with Tirumala. Mukherjee had visited the Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh, too, last week.
Only a few officials were allowed to attend the event as a security blanket was spread at the hill shrine. Shops and other business establishments remained closed at the temple during the President's stay. (NSS)