CHENNAI: Shobha Chandrasekhar, mother of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, who is lovingly called Thalapathy by the fans, offered prayers to Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy at the Tirumala temple on Tuesday. Shobha, who is also an Indian playback singer, was seen wearing a pink and orange saree for her spiritual visit.

Earlier in the day, Laura E Williams, US Consul General of Hyderabad, also offered prayers at the shrine. Former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan and his wife, Sophie Shine, also visited the Tirumala temple on Monday.

Visuals captured by ANI showed Dhawan arriving at the temple with Sophie, smiling as they headed in to offer prayers. The couple was dressed in traditional attire, with Dhawan wearing a kurta and dhoti, while Sophie wore a white suit.

The Tirumala shrine is administered by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and attracts a large number of devotees throughout the year. The temple conducts various rituals and sevas as part of its daily schedule.

Among the early-morning observances is the Suprabhata Seva, which marks the ceremonial awakening of Lord Venkateswara and is considered an important religious observance for devotees seeking an early darshan.