Prime Minister Narendra Modi who visited Tamil Nadu’s Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli on Saturday sought blessings from an elephant. The elephant played the mouth organ. In  a 24-second video shared by news agency ANI, the prime minister can be seen offering prayers at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple ahead of the grand consecration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22. 

PM Modi wore a white-coloured 'veshti' (dhothi) and an angawastram (a shawl) and offered prayers with folded hands in the Lord Vishnu temple. After offeringh prayers to Sri Ranganathaswamy, PM Modi received a crown, or ‘Sadari’,  from temple priests, which represents Lord Vishnu's blessings.

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The prime minister is reportedly on a pilgrimage to key temples across the country that are associated with places that are mentioned in the epic Ramayana. He also listened to a scholar who recited verses from the 'Kambaramayanam', one of the oldest versions of Ramayana. 

“All devotees of India are very happy that our PM is visiting Srirangam. Lord Ranganathar is also happy about the PM's visit. Our PM cares for everyone's welfare so is Ranganathar, so it's a blessed occasion for Srirangam. Before this, no Prime Minister has come to Srirangam, this is the first time a PM is visiting here. We all are very proud of his visit,"  the temple's Chief Priest Sundar Bhattar told news agency PTI. 

The Srirangam temple is located at an island, at the confluence of Cauvery and Kollidam rivers. It is believed that the early and later Cholas, Pandyas, the Hoysalas and the Vijayanagara empire have all contributed to the construction of the grand temple. 

The Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya will witness the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla (Lord Ram in his childlike form) at the temple on January 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over the consecration ceremony.