President Ramnath Kovind on Saturday offered prayers at the hill temple of Lord Venkateswara.
Accompanied by Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, he reached the main temple complex around 7.20 a.m. to a traditional reception.
Flanked by his wife Savitha Kovind, son Prashanth Kumar and daughter Swati, he stood in front of the presiding deity for about 10 minutes and paid his obeisances.
A battery of Sri Vaishnavite pundits showered ‘Vedasirvachanams’ on him and his entourage at the Ranganayakula Mandapam inside the main temple complex, where the TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal presented him with the memento and laddu prasadam.
Earlier, the President, who alighted at the Ratha mandapam, got into a battery car and drove towards the temple of Bhu Varaha Swamy and offered prayers.
Later after a brief stay at the Padmavati guest house, he motored down to Tirupati airport to fly back to the national capital.
Meanwhile, the police came under criticism as a devotee from Salem in Tamil Nadu was allegedly manhandled by a constable for asking to permit him to join his relatives at the pushkarini. The incident took place at ‘Akhilandam’ situated opposite the main temple complex an hour before of the arrival of the President.
