Tirupati, Feb 18 (IANS) Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and his wife Jayanthi Pushpa Kumari offered prayers to Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala here Wednesday.
The couple, who were accompanied by some cabinet ministers and top officials, participated in the pre-dawn rituals at the famous hill shrine.
According to an official of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the affairs of the temple, the Sri Lankan president took part in 'suprabhatha' conducted in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
Though the visiting dignitary was entitled to a direct entry through the Mahadwaram (main entrance), he reached the temple through the Vaikuntam queue complex like a commoner.
TTD Joint Executive Officer K.S.Sreenivasa Raju and other officials welcomed the president and his entourage at the queue complex.
After participating in the rituals, Sirisena worshipped the deity.
TTD's executive officer D. Sambasiva Rao presented him with 'laddu' (sweet), sacred silk cloth, books and memento of the presiding deity. The pundits (priests) of the temple blessed him with Vedic hymns at Ranganayakula Mandapam.
Later, speaking on behalf of the Sri Lankan president, the island's eastern province Governor Austin Fernando said their four-day official visit was successful.
Talking to reporters, he thanked the government of India for its warm hospitality.
He said it was heartening that during the new president's first visit to India several agreements were signed. He also termed as 'fruitful' the talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee.
Weather Update: The weather is going to change in the next 24 hours, it will rain heavily; Know what the updates are for your city
There is a possibility of heavy rain once again in Central and East India. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a low pressure area has developed over the Bay of Bengal. Its effect
Bell Bottom Review: Entertainment returns to the big screen, Akshay Kumar takes flight in this thriller, Lara-Adil also shines
Bell Bottom Review: One hundred goldsmiths, one blacksmith. When five planes have been hijacked in seven years and every time neighboring enemies land in the country, while the leaders negotiate a
Budget 2024: Atishi called the interim budget a box of catchphrases, and said- Central government behaves step-motherly
The AAP government in Delhi termed the budget presented by the BJP central government on Thursday as a jumla. Giving her reaction on the Union Budget, Delhi Finance Minister Atishi said that the
IND vs AUS: From Bumrah-Smith to Finch-Bhuvi, there will be a mutual war between these players in the first T20
India Vs Australia: A three-match T20 series will be played between India and Australia from September 20. In this series, three T20 matches will be played between the two teams. This series, to be
Sushant Singh case: What did Rhea Chakraborty interview about depression and expenses?
In the case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, actress Rhea Chakraborty, while replying to the allegations being made on her, has said that 'she was not living on Sushant's money'. In an interview given
BAN vs SL: Mushfiqur Rahim equals Virat Kohli in a special case, even Steve Smith and Babar Azam could not do this
Bangladesh's senior wicket-keeper batsman Mushfiqur Rahim has shown a fighting game in the ongoing test match against Sri Lanka. On the fourth day of the match, Rahim scored a century and during this
Rupee Vs Dollar: Rupee reaches the lowest level with the fall of 18 paise, inflation will increase in the country, importers will suffer losses
The Indian rupee on Thursday hit a historic low against the US dollar amid firming overseas markets. The Indian rupee fell by 18 paise on Thursday. The Indian currency closed at 79.9975 against the
CAG slams Odisha for delay in clearance meeting
Bhubaneswar, Feb 13 (IANS) The Odisha government has drawn flak from the CAG for not convening a meeting of the High Level Clearance Authority (HLCA) between Sep 2012 and March 2014 that resulted
Russia-Ukraine war: Ukrainian MP praises PM Modi, appreciated Indian stance on war
Ukraine MP Vadim Halaichuk has praised PM Modi. He said that we are grateful for Indian PM Narendra Modi's phrase "This is not the era of war". The Ukrainian MP said that given India's strength and
3 people from an Indian family drowned in the sea: Father jumped after seeing their son and daughter drowning on Oman beach, and all three still missing
An example of how heavy playing with ocean waves can be was seen on a beach in Oman. Three people of the same family having fun in the water were washed away by the strong waves of the sea. A
