From correspondents in India, 01:31 PM IST

President Pratibha Patil and her husband Devi Singh Shekhawat Monday offered prayers at the Lord Venkateshwara temple on Tirumala Hills on their 43rd wedding anniversary.

Patil arrived here Sunday night to inaugurate the platinum jubilee celebrations of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), the organisation that runs India's richest temple.

Temple priests and TTD officials accorded the couple a traditional welcome when they reached the hill shrine early Monday morning. They participated in special 'archana seva' prayers as the priests blessed the couple amid the chanting of Vedic hymns.

TTD Chairman Karunakar Reddy presented 'prasadam' and 'Srivari dollar' to the president and her husband, who spent 15 minutes in the temple.

Later, the president formally launched the devotional television channel of TTD. The 24-hour Sri Venkateswara Bhakti Channel aims to propagate devotion towards Lord Venkateswara and Hindu religion.

Speaking on the occasion, Patil said every religion give message of peace and humanity. 'There can't be peace without prosperity and there can't prosperity without good thoughts. Devotion gives you strength of spiritual mind and thoughts of doing good for others,' she said.

The president is scheduled to launch the platinum jubilee celebrations of TTD later Monday.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)