Mysuru, Oct 22 (DHNS):Supporters of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Friday performed special pujas and made offerings worth Rs 1.60 crore to the temple on Chamundi Hill here.

The ailing leader has remained in a Chennai hospital for nearly a month. The doctors had remained tight-lipped about her condition, but news emerged on Friday that she was recovering.

Five members of Jaya Publications and Kodanadu Estate, near Udhagamandalam (Ooty) in Tamil Nadu, arrived in the city on Thursday. They visited the temple and handed over ritual masks to the temple authorities.

Made in gold and silver, the masks are made for the 3.5 ft idol of Anjaneya and 1.5 ft idol of Ganapati at the entrance of the temple. The mask for Anjaneya is made with 4,710 of grams gold and 15 kg of silver, while the one for Ganapati is crafted from 1,689 grams of gold and 4,852 grams of silver.

By offering the masks, the devotees said they had fulfilled a vow made years ago. They prayed for the speedy recovery of their leader.

The masks were fixed on the idols on Friday at 9.15 am during an auspicious hour, according to N Shashishekara Dikshith, chief priest of the Chamundi temple. Special pujas were performed before the idols were adorned with the masks.

Sources said the mask offered to Anjaneya was worth Rs 1.18 crore and the one offered to Ganapati worth Rs 42 lakh. The authorities have issued receipts for the offerings, in keeping with temple procedure.

Following the puja, the visitors from Tamil Nadu offered special prayers to Chamundeshwari in Tamil.