The Hindu : Front Page : Jayalalithaa donates battery car to Srirangam temple

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 20, 2011
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

Jayalalithaa donates battery car to Srirangam temple

M. Balaganessin

It has a seating capacity of four persons besides driver

She rode the car for 15 meters from the Sri Karthigai Gopura Vasal
The battery-operated car is valued at about Rs.4.5 lakh

Photo: R. Ashok

The Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, riding a battery operated car at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam on Sunday. —

TIRUCHI: The Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, donated a battery-operated car to the Srirangam Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple here on Sunday, shortly after offering worship to the presiding deity. The Chief Minister rode the vehicle for about 15 meters from the Sri Karthigai Gopura Vasal up to Sri Ramanujar sannidhi, marking the inauguration of the battery-operated car.

The battery-operated car is valued at about Rs.4.5 lakh, and can seat four people besides driver.

The Chief Minister also unveiled another battery-operated car, with a seating capacity of 11 persons and a driver, worth about Rs. 5.5 lakh, provided by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment department.

Offers worship

Immediately after landing in the city, Ms. Jayalalithaa left for the temple from the airport. She spent about half an hour at the temple. She first offered worship to the giant Sri Garuda in front of Sri Renganathar shrine and went around the Raja Mahendran Tiruchitru.

She stayed for a few seconds under a thatched structure beside the Senai Mudaliar shrine and later went to the sanctum sanctorum of Sri Renganathar where she offered worship and an ‘archanai' was also performed. Accompanied by Sasikala, Ms. Jayalalithaa was at the sanctum sanctorum for about 17 minutes up to 11.30 a.m.

Greets crowd

She made it a point to greet the crowd of devotees and pilgrims at a couple of places, particularly while leaving the shrine, -- behind the Garuda Mandapam and later at Arya Bhattal Vasal.

Sundar Bhattar and Nandhu Bhattar, both temple priests, received the Chief Minister with temple honours.

State Ministers O. Pannerselvam, K.A. Sengottaiyan, N. R. Sivapathi and S.P. Shanmuganathan; R. Manoharan, MLA, officials including Muthiah Kalaivanan, Commissioner for HR and CE; S. Jayaraman, Joint Commissioner and Executive Officer of the temple; A. Ilamparithi, Joint Commissioner, HR and CE, Tiruchi, were among those present.

A large number of police personnel were deployed for bandobust duty at the temple.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page