Vijayawada, Oct 14 — President Droupadi Murmu offered prayers at the Kanaka Durga Temple in Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada on Wednesday night.
After arrival at Gannavaram Airport from Delhi by a special aircraft, the President travelled by road to Indrakeeladri and offered prayers to Goddess Kanaka Durga.
Following the darshan, temple priests rendered Veda Ashirvachanam and presented her the sacred offerings.
On arrival at Indrakeeladri, Home Minister V. Anitha, MP Kesineni Chinni, temple chairman Radhakrishna, Executive Officer Sheena Naik and other temple officials welcomed President Murmu.
She moved ahead while greeting devotees standing in queues with folded hands. The priests performed various rituals.
After the pujas in the sanctum sanctorum, Vedic scholars and temple officials offered Vedic blessings to the President and presented her with silk sarees, a shawl, and a portrait of the Goddess.
Earlier, on arrival from Delhi at Gannavaram Airport, President Murmu was received by Governor S. Abdul Nazeer, Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Minister of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan, State Minister for Mines, Geology, and Excise Kollu Ravindra, Andhra Pradesh Home and Disaster Management Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, Chief Secretary G. Sai Prasad, State Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta, Krishna District Collector D.K. Balaji, and District Superintendent of Police V. Vidya Sagar Naidu.
Subsequently, the President departed for Vijayawada by road in a special vehicle, escorted by security forces.
President Murmu will inaugurate the national-level SARAS Mela at Punnami Ghat in Vijayawada on Thursday.
SARAS Mela (Sale of Articles of Rural Artisans Society) is organised jointly by the Union Ministry of Rural Development and the Andhra Pradesh government.
The mela will feature more than 600 stalls showcasing products made by women belonging to self-help groups from across the country.
After the programme, she will attend a luncheon with members of Self-Help Groups and 'Lakhpati Didis'.