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Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow
Congress president Sonia Gandhi performed puja at the Kashi Vishwanath temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, in Varanasi on Tuesday morning.
As part of her mission to revive the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, Gandhi was in Varanasi for a day.
She chose to drive down straight from the airport to the temple, which is one of the most revered Hindu shrines in the country.
The temple bars entry to all non-Hindus. A board saying "Gentlemen not belonging to the Hindu religion are requested not to enter this time" is prominently displayed at the entrance.
The instruction is spelt out in Sanskrit, Hindi and Urdu.
However, Gandhi virtually cocked a snook at her political adversaries, who have been trying to rake up the issue of her foreign origin and her Christian background.
She spent nearly 25 minutes performing rituals before Shiva. Dressed in a light grey saree with a maroon border, her head covered in the traditional Hindu manner, she strode through the narrow winding lanes to the temple.
The temple, which shares its borders with the Gyanwapi mosque, was completely sealed off before Gandhi's visit. Routine pilgrims and devotees were barred from entering the temple for nearly an hour-and-a-half. Even journalists and cameramen were kept at a distance.
Once through with her prayers, Sonia Gandhi drove off to the local Jagatpur college, where she held a couple of sessions with Congress workers. "Rise above your petty differences and devote yourself to the revival of the party in a big way," she told her partymen.
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