President Patil prays at Kerala temple

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: President Pratibha Patil, on a two-day visit to Kerala, on Thursday morning offered prayers at the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Trivandrum. She spent around 40 minutes at the shrine.

Temple official Sasidharan Nair said: "She is a very religious person and was extremely pleased to have prayed at the temple. We presented her a book about the temple and a beautiful picture of Lord Padmanabha."

The temple, known for its mural paintings and stone carvings, is one among 108 temples dedicated to Hindu god Vishnu in India.

The president's temple visit dislocated traffic in the city.

The main road from the Kerala Raj Bhavan to the temple, which runs through the heart of the city, was blocked and so were a few arterial roads. Traffic was crippled from around 7.30 a.m. for nearly an hour.

"The president is offering prayers but we are stuck on the road," said an angry resident who was held up on way to a church to attend the first holy communion of his nephew.

The route to some temples nearby was also blocked for some time.

The president, who arrived Wednesday, is to attend the birth centenary celebrations of former chief minister R. Shankar.

She leaves for Pune later on Thursday. This is Patil's second visit to Kerala after taking over as president.