Wayanad: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday offered prayers and performed rituals at the famous Thirunelli temple in here. The Congress president has a connection with the town as it was here that his father, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s ashes were immersed.
Rahul, who is contesting the ensuing polls from the Wayanad parliamentary constituency, was accompanied by Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, among others.
Today I visited the Thirunelli Temple in Wayanad, Kerala.
This beautiful temple & its surroundings are an oasis of peace & serenity.
Standing besides the Papanasini, where my father’s ashes were immersed in 1991, brought back fond memories of him & our time together. pic.twitter.com/91Lzn9PG4R
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 17, 2019
“Today I visited the Thirunelli Temple in Wayanad, Kerala. This beautiful temple & its surroundings are an oasis of peace & serenity. Standing beside the Papanasini, where my father’s ashes were immersed in 1991, brought back fond memories of him & our time together,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted.
“As per the priest’s directions, he has performed all rituals for his grandmother (Indira Gandhi), father, forefathers, and victims of Pulwama attack,” Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, who was among those who accompanied Mr Gandhi to the temple and the stream.
“Last time also Rahul had wished to come here but because of security restrictions, he could not do it. Here is the place where the ashes of Rajiv Gandhi (Rahul’s father) were immersed, in the Papanasini river,” Mr Venugopal told media.
Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in a suicide bomb blast at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991 during a poll campaign.
