Nepal PM Pushpakamal Dahal offers prayers at Mahakaleshwar temple in MP

Ujjain: Nepal Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal "Prachanda" on Friday offered prayers at the famous Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain city of Madhya Pradesh, hours after he arrived in the state for a two-day visit.

Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel, state ministers Mohan Yadav and Jagdish Devda welcomed the Nepal PM at the Mahakaleshwar temple, one of the 12 'jyotirlingas' in the country.

The temple, especially its Nandi Hall and the sanctum sanctorum, was decorated with flowers. A red carpet was laid in the temple premise to welcome the Nepalese PM and his delegation. Priests blew conch shells to welcome the guests from the neighbouring country.

Wearing a saffron-coloured shawl, Prachanda later performed religious rituals inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple around 1.30 pm amid chanting of 'shlokas' (hymns) by priests, an official said.

Prachanda offered 100 'rudraksh' and Rs 51,000 at the temple during the visit, the official said.

The Nepalese PM arrived at the temple by road from Indore, where he arrived earlier in the day, amid tight security arrangements put in place along the nearly 55 km-long route.

After visiting the temple, Prachanda will return to Indore, where he is scheduled to meet the governor, visit a solid waste management plant operated by the local civic body. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will host a dinner in his honour in Indore tonight.