Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu Tuesday offered prayers at the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at nearby Tirumala...

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu Tuesday offered prayers at the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at nearby Tirumala. An ardent devotee of Lord Venkateswara, Naidu arrived here Monday evening after inaugurating an Indian Culinary Institute, built by the Ministry of Tourism at a cost of Rs 100 crore, near Renigunta airport, 15 km from here. After an overnight stay on the hills, he visited the shrine at the crack of the dawn and spent about 20 minutes in the temple, temple sources told PTI.

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On his arrival at the shrine, he was accorded a warm welcome and taken to the sanctum sanctorum by the priests and officials of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) that governs the ancient shrine. Before leaving Tirupati, the vice president also took part in some local programmes. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami offered prayers at the hill abode Tuesday. Palaniswami took part in the 'Astadala Paadapadmaradhan' ritual conducted for the presiding deity atthe sanctum sanctorum this morning, a temple official said. During his stay, Palaniswami also called on Naidu at the TTD guest house, the official said, adding it was a courtesy call.