Former President Rajapaksa in India, offers prayers at Lord Venkateswara shrine

Former Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa offered prayers at the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at nearby Tirumala, Indoan media reported.

Rajapaksa, an ardent devotee of Lord Venkateswara, who had visited the temple several times in the past, flew in here last evening and later reached the Tirumala hills by road, India.com reported.

After an overnight stay at a TTD Guest House on the hills, Rajapaksa offered prayers  this morning and was in the temple for about 20 minutes, temples sources told PTI.

The Sri Lankan leader had last visited the temple on December 10, 2014, a day after filing his nomination papers for the then presidential elections, seeking a third term.

Tight security was put in place on the hills for Rajapaksa’s visit, which comes amid a political crisis in Sri Lanka following the local council elections in which his party SLPP registered a landslide victory recently.