The President of India has visited the storied Sreepadmanabha temple and paid obeisance to the presiding deity that the capital city draws its name from.

Pranab Mukherjee made the visit yesterday, the second and last day of his tour of the State.

He would later observe that it gave him a unique experience and an opportunity to probe his own spirituality in an atmosphere imbued with tradition and culture.

Accompanied by Kerala Governor Sheila Dikhit, the President arrived at the temple around 10.30 am on Saturday.

He spent at least 45 minutes offering prayers and gathering information related to the history of the temple.

The President was taken around the premises and near the main vault where its treasures, which hit the headlines ever since their antiquity and much-bandied value became known, are kept.

He expressed keen interest in getting to know more about them, including how they had come to reach the hands of the traditional trustee of the temple, the royal family of Travancore.

He was impressed by the sculptures and other works of ancient art at the Kulasekhara Mandapam, a source in the temple administration said.

Security had been beefed ‘many times over’ in and around West Fort in view of the President’s visit, the source added.

VS Sivakumar, Kerala Minister for Health and Temple Administration, Shashi Tharoor MP, Biju Prabhakar, District Collector, KP Indira, Additional District Sessions Judge-cum-Chairperson of the temple committee, Moolam Tirunal Rama Varma, head of the ruling family of erstwhile Travancore, and other senior officers were present to receive the President.

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