Chief minister J. Jayalalithaa and her friend V.K. Sasikala reportedly paid a visit to a Vinayakar temple at Kotturpuram in Chennai on Friday morning and spent about 30 minutes there.
Sources say Jayalalithaa and Sasikala visited the temple early in the morning. It is generally believed that brahma muhurtham (early morning hours) is the best time to offer prayers.
This is the first time that Ms Jayalalithaa and her friend hade visited a temple together after their reunion on April 2. Though a small, roadside temple, residents of Kotturpuram say the deity is considered powerful.
Ms Sasikala left Poes Garden on December 19 after Ms Jayalalithaa issued a statement expelling her and a host of her relatives from the party for their ‘anti-party activities.’ Later Ms Jayalalithaa also issued a strong warning to her party members against having any truck with Sasikala and her relatives.
However, recently Sasikala issued a statement saying she was unaware of the conspiracies hatched by her relatives against the party. Sasikala said she had dedicated her life to her ‘elder sister’ (Ms Jayalalithaa) and her relatives who conspired against Ms Jayalalithaa will never be forgiven.
Accepting her explanation, Ms Jayalalithaa revoked the action against Sasikala even while clarifying that the action against other relatives of Sasikala remained. Ms Jayalalithaa also warned her party men against having any ties with Sasikala’s relatives.
Even before Sasikala entered Poes Garden on April 2, sources say she visited the Agathiyar temple at T Nagar and offered prayers. Sasikala reportedly visited the temple again after her reunion on April 5 on the day of auspicious Panguni Uthiram.
Unconfirmed sources say Ms Jayalalithaa and Ms Sasikala also performed a puja in the Vinayakar temple at Kotturpuram.