During his first visit to Karnataka after taking charge, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay visited Kollur Mookambika Temple in Udupi district on Friday and offered a silver sword to the presiding deity.

According to sources, the sword weighed 1.6 k.g. He offered special pooja at the temple in the afternoon.

The police had beefed up security at the temple in view of his visit. The temple wore deserted look due to security arrangements.

Drives car himself

After visiting the temple, Mr. Vijay drove to the Mookamika guest house at Kollur.

Sources at Mangaluru International Airport said that the Chief Minister drove the car himself while returning to the airport from Kollur. He waved at his fans and boarded the special flight to Chennai at 6.30 p.m.

Earlier Mr. Vijay arrived at the airport by a special flight from Delhi at about 1 p.m. Minister for Health and Family Welfare U. T. Khader and officials of Dakshina Kannada district administration welcomed him at the airport. The officials presented him with two books at the airport. Later he left for Kollur via Udupi by road.

Black flag protest

Before Mr. Vijay could reach Udupi, a group of activists of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Praveen Kumar Shetty faction) gathered at Udyavara on the National Highway 66 in Udupi to show black flag to the Chief Minister. The activists were opposing Tamil Nadu taking objection to the proposed Mekedatu Irrigation Project. But they were taken into preventive custody by police.

It may be mentioned here that former Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu the late J. Jayalalitha and M. G. Ramachandran too had visited the Kollur temple when in power.