Nirmala Sitharaman offers prayers at Tirupati shrine

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman offered prayers at the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala here on Saturday.

Sitharaman, who arrived here on her maiden visit this evening, earlier took part in the Sahasra Dipaalankaara ritual conducted for the centuries-old processional idols of Lord Venkateswara and his divine consorts Sri Lakshmi and Sri Padmavathi at a 'mandapam' in front of the shrine, a temple official said.

Later, she offered prayers to the presiding deity of Lord Venkateswara.

Sitharaman would again offer worship at the ancient hill shrine on Sunday morning.