Star batsman Sachin Tendulkar offered worship at the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara near Tirupati in the early hours on Saturday.
Tendulkar arrived on a 10-hour maiden pilgrimage on the hills at midnight.
He offered worship in the traditional manner, wearing a white dhoti and shirt, and also took part in the ‘Suprabhatha recitation seva’ (a ritual), temple sources said.
Tendulkar was in the temple for about 20 minutes.
After prayers, Tendulkar was presented with ‘laddu’ prasadam, holy water and a sacred silk cloth by the temple management while the priests, chanting vedic hymns, blessed him at the ancient Ranganayaka mandapam inside the temple, they said.
Keywords: Sachin Tendulkar, Tirumala, Lord Venkateswara temple
Yes, lets now publish more news on this and celebrate his visit. I fail
to understand why a sportsman is given so much importance and a VIP
status even at religious shrines. Does a person who created white or
green revolution given a similar importance?
Oh My God, what a fuss media makes about cricketeer visit to Tirpati ! He is such a great VIP ?? Lord received him with folded hands ?? It is sad to see this trend in news reporting by a famed old good daily ! Sachin wore this or that, walked, stood for so many minutes - all this to highlight what ?? If he is sincere devotee of God, he should ask you all to NOT write anything about his private life events. May God give him and all reporters better sense, I pray !
Shouldn't everyone be treated equally in a temple? For the Lord there are no VIPs and
non-VIPs. Everyone is dear to him. That is what all great religious teachers have
taught us.
Mr. Tendulkar, an Indian citizen and a cricketer, visits a place of
worship like any other person in this country. I wonder what is there in
this to make it to a National newspaper's headlines. Nobody is
interested if he offered worship in traditional manner or not. Allow the
man some privacy. Sensationalism is something that is least expected
from this newspaper and I am sure 'The Hindu' can do much better. Thank
you.
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