Rahul Gandhi performs bali tharpanam at Thirunelli temple

Wayanad: Congress president Rahul Gandhi performed the ‘bali tharpanam’ ritual propitiating  the souls of his ancestors including father Rajeev Gandhi, grandmother Indira Gan-dhi,  the CRPF martyrs of Pulwama terror attack, Congress workers and other soldiers during his visit to the Maha Vishnu Temple, Thirunelli in Wayanad,  on Wednesday.

Known as the ‘Kashi of the South’, it was in the River Papanashini flowing down about one kilometer away from the temple, the urn with the ashes of Rajiv Gandhi was immersed on May 30, 1991.  After offering prayers, Rahul Gandhi also wrote on Twitter that the visit “brought back fond memories of him (Rajiv Gandhi) and our time together.”

“Today I visited the Thirunelli Temple in Wayanad, Kerala. This beautiful temple and its surroundings are an oasis of peace and serenity,” he added.

Flown in from Kannur to the  SA UP school ground about four kilometers away from the temple at around 10 am, Rahul went to the Dewaswam Guest House Panchatheerdham, where he freshened up after taking bath and changed his dress to the traditional Kerala attire. Accomp-anied by Congress leaders K.C. Venugopal, Oommen Chandy, Mullappalli Ramachandran, P.C. Vishnunath, K.P. Anilk-umar and Mukul Wasnik, Rahul offered prayers at the temple at 10:25 am and later walked to the river to perform the rituals to propitiate the souls.

Thirunelli temple, the hill shrine located about 40 kilometers away from Mananthavadi, here, is a shrine  nestled on the lap of hills surrounded by Brahmagiri mountain ranges. Close to Kerala- Karnataka border, the shrine of Lord Vishnu is known for the rituals propitiating the souls of forefathers by the offspring.