Tirumala: A devotee from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh offered a “Sahasra Nama Mala” (golden garland), valued at about Rs 8.36 crore, to the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara near here on the opening day of the nine-day annual Brahmotsavam festivities on Saturday night.

The jumbo garland, weighing about 28 kg, contained as many as 1008 golden coins carrying 1008 holy names of Lord Venkateswara, temple sources said.

M Ramalinga Raju, an entrepreneur, handed over the offering to the priests and top officials of the shrine in the presence of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, they said.

Naidu was in the temple after making the customary offering of a set of new silk clothes to Lord Venkateswara on behalf of the state government on the occasion of Brahmotsavam, the sources added.