Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Saturday(8th) offered prayers at the Lord Venkateswara shrine in Tirumala.
President Mahnda Rajapaksa prays near the Dwajasthambham, inside the temple of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala on Saturday, Feb 9, 2013-pic courtesy of: The Hindu
Mr. Rajapaksa who is on a two-day visit to the holy shrine participated in the Suprabhata seva – a pre-dawn ritual performed in the early hours. He was accompanied by his wife Sharathi Rajapaksa besides a 70 member delegation.
Even though he is entitled to the ‘Mahadwaram’ entry he rather preferred reaching the temple complex through the Vaikuntam queue complex like any other commoner.
Speaking to media persons after coming out of the temple Mr. Rajapaksa reacted strongly to the wide spread protests that rocked his visit and said that in a democratic country such as India everybody has a right to protest. Why don’t you come to Sri Lanka for a first hand assessment and see for yourself what the truth is, he said in a indirect reference to the allegations that he had masterminded the ‘genocide’ of the Tamils and his government responsible for the desecration of thousands of Hindu temples in the island nation.
Earlier as is the practice, the temple priests honoured him with the silk vastram of the presiding deity while the TTDs Joint Executive Officer K.S. Srinivasa raju presented him with the laddu prasadam and memento of the presiding deity.
Meanwhile the police authorities who had made unprecedented security arrangements heaved a sigh of relief with no untoward incidents being reported and the darshan programme passing away peacefully.
Winding up his two-day personal visit to the country President Rajapaksa is expected to motor down to the Tirupati airport and take off to Colombo at 11.30 am. in a special aircraft.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa reached Tirumala on Friday from Bodh Gaya in Bihar, amid protests by Tamil groups in the hill town and other parts of Chittoor district.
Minutes before his convoy arrived, hundreds of protesters, especially women, crossed the security barricades and, chanting slogans, stayed put near the Padmavathi Guest House area, where Mr. Rajapaksa will stay overnight. The police took them into custody.
Warm welcome
Mr. Rajapaksa, accompanied by wife Shiranthi Rajapaksa and a 70-member delegation, was accorded a warm reception by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Joint Executive Officer K.S. Srinivasa Raju and Chief Vigilance and Security Officer G.V.G. Ashok Kumar.
The TTD has made elaborate arrangements for his visit. After the protest, the police have thrown a security cover around the Padmavathi Guest House.
Visits Mahabodhi temple
Patna Staff Reporter writes:
Mr. Rajapaksa, along with his wife and a 45-member delegation, reached Bodh Gaya in the morning and visited the Mahabodhi temple. He offered prayers and gifted a chivar (robe of a Buddhist monk) before the Buddha idol. The President’s visit was a religious pilgrimage and not a political one, an official statement said.
Earlier, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar received him at the Gaya International Airport.
He acquainted Mr. Rajapaksa with Bihar’s history and legacy.
He presented a memento to the President.
The visit lasted over four hours.
Protest in Patna
Mr. Rajapaksa’s visit was marked by protests in Gaya and Patna.
All-India Students’ Association (AISA) of the CPI (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation and the Revolutionary Youth Association (RYA) staged a protest in the State capital demanding that Mr. Rajapaksa be tried for “war crimes.”
“After killing thousands of Sri Lankan Tamils, he is coming to the peaceful site of Bodh Gaya … And the State is welcoming this. Bihar will not tolerate this,” Navin Kumar of RYA said.
COURTESY:THE HINDU