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Newly-wed
Bollywood star couple Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Sunday
prayed at the Tirupati temple here, making their first public appearance
after their high-profile wedding two days ago.
Accompanied
by family members and friends, the couple spent 20 minutes at the
Ranganayaka Mandapam of the temple and prayed to Lord Balaji, the
presiding deity. To the chants of Vedic hymns by 11 priests, the
couple offered prayers for a happy married life.
A
smiling Aishwarya was clad in a golden coloured sari and sported
the traditional vermilion mark on her forehead signifying marriage,
while Abhishek was attired in a white kurta pyjama.
Both
cheerfully waved to the huge crowds in the temple complex.
Abhishek's
father and Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan and his mother Jaya
Bachchan also prayed at the temple.
Among
others in the entourage were Abhishek's sister Shweta, her children,
industrialist Anil Ambani, his wife Tina and politician Amar Singh.
Hundreds
of devotees scrambled to catch a glimpse of the newly-weds. Security
personnel had a tough time keeping the crowds at bay.
The
Bachchans flew into Renigunta airport near here in the morning by
a chartered aircraft from Mumbai and drove to the temple. After
spending two hours in the temple town, they flew back to Mumbai.
The
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the affairs of
the temple, had made elaborate arrangements for the VIP guests.
Amitabh,
a staunch devotee of Lord Balaji, visited the temple April 15. He
had also placed the first wedding invitation card at the feet of
the deity seeking blessings for the couple.
Amitabh,
Anil Ambani and Amar Singh had then each donated Rs.5.1 million
each to the temple trust for education of poor children and treatment
of poor patients.
The
Bollywood icon had also visited the temple in December 2005 to pray
after recovering from serious health problems.
About
50,000 people pray at the temple every day. On special occasions
the number crosses the 100,000 mark.
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