CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy worships Goddess Gangamma in Tirupati

Tirupati: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy visited Tataiahgunta Gangamma Devasthanam in Tirupati on Tuesday evening and worshipped the Goddess. He is the first Chief Minister to visit this famous folk temple. He was received with full temple honours by priests who took him into the temple.

After performing pujas on Jagan's name, they rendered Vedarseervachanam to him and offered prasadams and memento. Before entering into the temple, the Chief Minister broke the coconut following the tradition. He offered 'Sare' to the presiding deity.

Tirupati MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy was instrumental in bringing the CM to the temple. Needless to say that he brought a new enthusiasm among the denizens this year during the week-long Ganga Jatara held in May. The Goddess is considered as the younger sister of Lord Venkateswara and it was a customary practice for TTD to offer 'Sare' during the Jatara.

The MLA explained to the Chief Minister about the temple's history. Ministers Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy and RK Roja, TTD Chairman YV Subba Reddy, Mayor Dr R Sirisha, Municipal Commissioner Anupama Anjali, temple trust board chairman K Gopi Yadav, EO Munisekhar and others were present during the occasion.

CM inaugurates 10 electric buses: Later, the Chief Minister reached Alipiri bus stand and inaugurated 10 electric buses of APSRTC meant for travel between Tirupati and Tirumala. He flagged off the buses at a brief ceremony before going to Tirumala to offer silk clothes to Lord Venkateswara. These buses were provided by Olectra Greentech limited, a group company of MEIL, in the initial phase while 90 more buses were to be provided soon.

Deputy Chief Minister K Narayana Swamy, Ministers P Ramachandra Reddy and RK Roja, TTD Chairman YV Subba Reddy, RTC chairman Mallikarjun Reddy, Managing Director Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, TTD JEO Sada Bhargavi, RTC Vice-Chairman Vijayananda Reddy, Regional Manager T Chengal Reddy, Transport GM Sesha Reddy and Olectra company CMD KV Pradeep took part in the programme.

Olectra CMD KV Pradeep said that their electric buses have completed seven crore kilometres on Indian roads and reduced Co2 emissions by around 46,000 tonnes till now which would have required around two crore trees instead. Olectra has delivered over 850 buses to various States. The Olectra bus has a record of travelling the hilly terrain, Manali to Rohtang pass, and entered the Limca Book of Records.