Mukesh Ambani visits Guruvayur Temple, pledges Rs 15 crore for new hospital

Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani on Sunday visited the Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple in Kerala, offered prayers, and donated Rs 15 crore towards a proposed multi-speciality hospital. He also promised technical support for temple elephant care initiatives

Thrissur (Kerala): Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani on Sunday visited the Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple here, offered prayers, and handed over financial assistance for the proposed Devaswom multi-speciality hospital.

The Guruvayur Devaswom shared information and pictures of Ambani’s visit on its official Facebook page. According to the Devaswom, Ambani arrived in Guruvayur around 7.30 am by helicopter, which landed at the Sreekrishna College ground.

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He then travelled by road to the southern gate of the temple, where Devaswom Chairman Dr V K Vijayan and other members received him. As it was a public holiday with special darshan restrictions in place, Ambani entered the temple with a neivilakku vazhipadu (offering) coupon arranged for 25 members, the Devaswom said.

He then offered prayers at the sanctum sanctorum, made offerings at the sopanapadi (temple steps), and received prasadam from the chief priest, it said. After the rituals, Vijayan presented Ambani with the temple’s prasadam along with a commemorative portrait of Lord Guruvayurappan.

Later, Devaswom officials briefed Ambani on the proposed multi-speciality hospital and a planned modern veterinary hospital for the temple elephants. Ambani assured full support for both projects and handed over a cheque for Rs 15 crore as the first contribution towards the hospital’s construction, the Devaswom said.

He also offered to extend technical assistance, based on the model of Reliance’s wildlife conservation centre in Gujarat, to improve the care and management of Guruvayur’s elephants, they added. Ambani departed from Guruvayur around 8 am after completing the temple visit.