Bengaluru, Jun 26 (IANS): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivaraj Singh Chouhan prayed at the famous Cheluvanarayana Swamy temple in Karnataka's Melkote town and sought blessings of the deity to fight the Covid-19 pandemic in his state.

"Chouhan was accompanied by his wife Sadhna Singh and two family members," an official told IANS.

Melkote is in Mandya district.

"I have sought the blessings of Cheluvanarayana Swamy to give me strength to fight the Covid-19 in my state," Chouhan told reporters later.

State Municipal Administration Minister Narayan Gowda accompanied Chouhan and his family to the temple and joined them in the prayers.

The age-old temple is built on rocky hills of Yadavagiri on the banks of the Cauvery river.

Chouhan, who flew to Mysuru in a chartered aircraft from Hyderabad earlier in the day, also visited Jeeyar ashram in the temple town.

He later flew to Tirupathi to visit the famous Lord Venkateshwara temple atop the Tirumala hills on Saturday.