Jagan offers prayers at Lord Venkateswara temple

: YSR Congress Party chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister-designate YS Jaganmohan Reddy Wednesday offered prayers at the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala near here.

Reddy, who is set to sworn in as Chief Minister on Thursday, arrived here Tuesday by a special flight from Vijayawada and reached the hills by road amid tight security.

After an overnight halt on the hills, the YSRC Party chief visited the ancient hill shrine and offered prayers to Lord Venkateswara this morning.

Before leaving the shrine, Reddy was honoured with a sacred silk cloth, memento and prasadam by top TTD officials while the priests blessed him amid chanting of vedic hymns, a temple official told PTI.

Later, he left for Kadapa, his home district to visit a dargah, a church and the memorial of his late father and former Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, a government official said.