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Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, August 10, visited the Mata Kheer Bhawani temple in Ganderbal and the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar.
Gandhi, who represents Wayanad in distant Kerala in the Lok Sabha, arrived on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.
He reached the temple nestled among mighty chinars in Tullamulla in central Kashmir district early in the morning, a Congress leader said.
Gandhi was accompanied by party General Secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal and Rajni Patil, who is the All India Congress Committee's official in charge of J&K, on his pilgrimage to the Ragnya Devi -- popularly known as Mata Kheer Bhawani -- temple.
"This was a private visit. Rahulji wanted to pay obeisance at the temple," the Congress leader said.
Scores of Congress leaders and supporters waited outside the shrine complex to welcome Gandhi, whose Nehru ancestors hailed from Kashmir.
He spent over half-an-hour at the temple and offered prayers, the Congress leader said.
Immediately after leaving the Mata Kheer Bhawani temple, Gandhi visited the Mir Baba Haider shrine, also in Ganderbal, to pay obeisance there.
Gandhi then visited the Hazratbal shrine on the banks of the Dal Lake in Srinagar and prayed there as well.
On Monday evening, Gandhi attended the wedding reception of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee President Ghulam Ahmad Mir's son at a hotel in Srinagar.
Please click on the images for a view of Rahul Gandhi's shrine visits.
IMAGE: Rahul Gandhi worships at the Mata Kheer Bhawani temple in Ganderbal.
All photographs: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com
IMAGE: Rahul accompanied by Congress leaders at the Mata Kheer Bhawani temple.
IMAGE: Gandhi performs puja at the temple.
IMAGE: Gandhi offers prayers.
IMAGE: Gandhi prays at the Mir Baba Haider shrine, also in Ganderbal.
IMAGE: Gandhi at the Hazratbal Dargah in Srinagar.
IMAGE: Gandhi being escorted to the dargah.
IMAGE: Another view of Gandhi at Hazratbal.
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
