President Ramnath Kovind, accompanied by his wife and daughter, offered worship at the historic Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple and paid homage to former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at his memorial on Saturday. The President was in Rameswaram as part of a two-day visit to Tamil Nadu.
After flying down to the Mandapam helipad from the Madurai airport, the President, accompanied by Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Union Minister Pon. Radhakrishnan, reached the temple by road and offered worship at the sannidhis of Sri Ramanathaswamy and his consort Ambal Parvathavardhini.
“The magnificent architectural and engineering marvel constructed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation is a befitting tribute to Dr. Kalam. May the memorial that reflects the life of Dr. Kalam serve as a beacon of motivation and guidance for the future generations,” the President remarked on the visitors’ note at the Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial. He added that it was a matter of great pride and honour for him to pay homage to his predecessor, whom he described as a “great scientist and true son of the soil”.
The President left at 2.40 p.m., even as the district police threw a massive security cordon around the island, deploying over 2,000 personnel.
