Tirupathi (Andhra Pradesh) [India], August 10 (ANI): Sri Lankan Member of Parliament Elayathamby Sreenath offered prayers at the sacred Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Andhra Pradesh on Monday.

The Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, located atop the Tirumala hills in Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati district, is one of the country's most revered Hindu shrines.

Dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the temple attracts millions of devotees from across the world each year. Lord Venkateswara is also worshipped as Balaji, Govinda and Srinivasa, and the shrine is situated on Venkatachala, one of the seven peaks of the Seshachalam range.

Separately, India and Sri Lanka on Friday reviewed bilateral cooperation in the power sector at a meeting in New Delhi. The Indian delegation was led by Union Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal, while the Lankan delegation was led by Anura Karunathilake, Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation and Minister of Energy of Sri Lanka.

The Ministers reviewed the progress of ongoing bilateral initiatives, including the proposed India-Sri Lanka HVDC interconnection and the Sampur Solar Power Project.

They also discussed opportunities to deepen cooperation in cross-border electricity trade, renewable energy, transmission infrastructure, and capacity building, with a view to enhancing energy security and supporting the clean energy transition in the region.

The Indian side also shared its experience in transmission system development through the Tariff-Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) framework as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

Both sides reviewed progress under existing bilateral mechanisms and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen cooperation in the power sector for sustainable development and regional energy security.

Minister Manohar Lal reiterated India's commitment to the long-standing India-Sri Lanka energy partnership. Anura Karunathilake appreciated India's continued support and conveyed Sri Lanka's commitment to further expand bilateral energy cooperation.

The meeting was attended by Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Power, and senior officials from the Government of India. The Sri Lankan delegation included Mahishini Colonne, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India, and other senior officials.

The high-level meeting comes on the heels of the visit by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to Colombo, during which he reiterated India's commitment to Sri Lanka under its 'Neighbourhood First' policy and Vision MAHASAGAR. (ANI)