Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday offered prayers at the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala here. The Chief Minister, on his maiden spiritual visit after taking over reins in Madhya Pradesh, reached the hills on Friday night with wife and others, a temple official told PTI. Chouhan along with his family, wearing face masks visited the shrine and paid his obeisance to the presiding deity of Lord Venkateswara this morning. Upon arrival at the temple, Chouhan was accorded a warm welcome by the top temple authorities who conducted him to the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine. He was the first political luminary to visit the ancient shrine after the temple was reopened for public from June 11, following more than two and a half month-long nationwide lockdown due to Coronavirus Pandemic. Before leaving the hills, in a brief chat with media, Chouhan said he heartily prayed to Lord Venkateswara to bestow his divine blessings upon the nation as the country was going through a tough time with increasing COVID-19 cases and prevailing tensions on the borders.
