Prez, husband at Tirumala on wedding anniv

Tirumala (Andhra Pradesh), Jul 7: President Pratibha Patil and her husband Devisingh Shekhawat offered obeisance at Sri Venkateswara Temple here in the wee hours of today on the occasion of their 43rd wedding anniversary.

On her arrival, Ms Patil was given a traditional reception at the temple entrance by priests. Later, she and her husband participated in the 'Archana Seva.' She was offered 'Sesha Vasthram' at the sanctum sanctorum by the temple chief priest. TTD Chairman B Karnakara Reddy presented prasad and 'Sri Vari' dollar to them.

The temple priest and vedic pandits blessed the couple amid chanting of hymns at the Ranganayaka Mandapam. The President was in the temple for about 15 minutes.

After 'darshan', Ms Patil launched TTD's Sri Venkateswara Bhakti Channel (SVBC), a satellite TV channel, at the temple 'mahadwaram.'

UNI