GURUVAYUR: Chief Minister V D Satheesan visited Guruvayur temple and offered prayers while performing special rituals. It was his first visit to the temple after assuming office.
A devotee who visits Guruvayur once a month, Satheesan arrived at the temple around 7am. As it was a holiday, and with the summer vacation drawing to a close, Guruvayur witnessed a massive rush of devotees on the day as the temple premises and East Nada were crowded with pilgrims.
He was received by Guruvayur Devaswom chairman A V Gopinath and administrator O B Arun Kumar. The devaswom chairman welcomed Satheesan by draping a ceremonial shawl over his shoulders. A large number of devotees and party workers had gathered to catch a glimpse of the new chief minister. Security arrangements were tightened in the area.
After offering prayers at the temple, Satheesan performed the traditional ‘thulabharam’ ritual using butter. A total of 71 kg of butter was used for the offering.
Following the ritual, he interacted warmly with devotees. Known for openly expressing his devotion to Guruvayurappan on several occasions, Satheesan continues to make time for temple visits despite his busy political schedule.
Another notable aspect of the visit was that Satheesan became the first Kerala chief minister to enter the Guruvayur temple after former Chief Minister K Karunakaran.
His visit has become a major topic of discussion in both political and spiritual circles. Later, Satheesan also attended the wedding of the son of Revenue Minister A P Anil Kumar.