President Droupadi Murmu on Monday offered prayers at Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy and Goddess Bramarambhika temple in Srisailam in Kurnool district Andhra Pradesh and laid the foundation stone for various development works.
Murmu was welcomed by Andhra Pradesh Endowments Minister Kottu Satyanarayana, Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath, local MLA Shilpa Chakrapani Reddy, and senior officials upon her arrival at Sunnipenta helipad from Hyderabad.
Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G. Kishan Reddy also reached Srisailam along with the President from Hyderabad.
"President Droupadi Murmu offered prayers at Srisailam Temple in Andhra Pradesh. She inaugurated project of Development of Srisailam Temple under 'Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)' scheme and inaugurated a Tourism Facilitation Centre," a tweet by Rashtrapati Bhavan said.
Andhra Pradesh's Tourism Minister RK Roja, other public representatives, and senior officials received President Murmu at the temple.
Priests and temple officials accorded a traditional welcome to her. She had darshan at the Ratnagarbha Ganapathi Swamy temple.
Droupadi Murmu later performed rudrabhishekam to Srisailam Mallikarjuna Swamy and kumkumarchana to Bramarambika Devi.
She launched various projects related to the development of Srisailam temple. Development works worth Rs 43 crore were launched under the National Mission of Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) scheme of the Union Tourism Ministry. She also visited Sri Shivaji Spoorthy Kendram in Srisailam.
Murmu later returned to Hyderabad for a five-day winter sojourn.
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President Murmu will address the students and faculty members of the Keshav Memorial Educational Society in Hyderabad on Tuesday. On the same day, she will visit the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy to address the Officer Trainees of the Indian Police Service (74thARR Batch). She will also inaugurate the Wide Plate Mill of Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI) at Hyderabad.
The next day, the President will visit Sri Seetharama Chandra Swamyvari Devasthanam, Bhadrachalam, and lay the foundation stone for the development of tourism infrastructure at Bhadrachalam Temple under the PRASHAD scheme. She will visit Ramappa Temple in Warangal district the same day and lay the foundation stones for the development of tourism infrastructure at Ramappa Temple and the restoration of Kameshwaralaya Temple.
On December 29, the President will interact with the students and faculty members of the G. Narayanamma Institute of Technology and Science (for Women) as well as the students and staff of the BM Malani Nursing College and the Suman Junior College of Mahila Dakshata Samithi at Hyderabad. On the same day, she will visit the Statue of Equality at Sriramnagaram, Shamshabad.
President Murmu will host Veer Naris and other dignitaries over lunch at Rashtrapati Nilayam on December 30 before returning to Delhi.
(With IANS inputs)