Tirupati, Sep 29 : Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice D. Y. Chandrachud, offered prayers at Sri Venkateswara temple at Tirumala on Sunday.

Justice Chandrachud, his wife Kalpana Das and other family members entered the temple through the Vaikuntha queue complex and offered prayers in the sanctum sanctorum, said Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the affairs of the famous hill shrine, also known as Balaji temple.

After darshan, the Vedic Pundits offered Vedaseervachanam to the Chief Justice of India and his family at Ranganayakula Mandapam.

TTD Executive Officer J. Syamala Rao presented Srivari's lamination photo and Thirtha Prasadams to the CJI.

Earlier, TTD Executive Officer and Additional Executive Officer Venkaiah Chowdhary welcomed Justice Chandrachud at Vaikuntha Queue Complex.

The Chief Justice's visit comes amid the ongoing row over the alleged presence of animal fat in the ghee used for making laddu prasadam of the temple.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on September 18 alleged that the ghee used for making laddus during the YSR Congress Party rule had animal fat in it.

The Chief Minister has already ordered a probe into the allegations by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by the Deputy Inspector General of Police.

YSR Congress Party President and former chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has refuted the claims made by Chandrababu Naidu and alleged that he has lowered the reputation of Tirumala temple and hurt the sentiments of devotees by making false allegations.

Two days ago, Jagan Mohan Reddy had to drop his plans to visit Tirumala temple after the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Jana Sena demanded that he give a declaration of his faith.

Accusing the TDP-led coalition government of trying to prevent him from visiting the temple, Jagan had appealed to people to visit temples in their respective places and pray that the god's wrath for tarnishing the sanctity of Tirumala remains confined to Chandrababu Naidu.

/IANS