President offers prayers at Padmanabhaswamy temple

Thiruvananthapuram, July 19 (IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee Saturday offered prayers at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple here.

Mukherjee was accompanied by Kerala Governor Sheila Dikshit, Minister for Devasom (Temples) V.S. Sivakumar and other senior officials.

He was dressed in typical Kerala attire as the temple's custom requires all males, who enter the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, to wear a dhoti and cover their body.

Mukherjee, who was received by the members of a Supreme Court appointed committee, spent about 45 minutes in the shrine. Later, the temple committee presented him souvenirs.

Lord Padmanabhan is the principle deity of the temple, which is now described as the richest Hindu shrine.

The members of the erstwhile Travancore royal family, who till recently ran the affairs of the temple, were also present.

The temple visit was the last engagement during Mukherjee's two-day visit to the state.

The Supreme Court in April had entrusted the administration of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple to a five-member committee headed by a city judge.

The decision was based on a report by amicus curiae Gopal Subramaniam that things were not right under the administration led by the royal family.