After receiving a grand welcome on her arrival from Rio Olympics, star shuttler PV Sindhu today offered prayers at the Simhavahini Mahakali temple in the old city of the Hyderabad.
The 21-year-old, who retained the 10th spot in the latest BWF rankings, clad in 'half saree' and carrying 'bonam' (offering) on her head arrived here with her parents.
The priests at the temple performed shakti puja as per the rituals and prayed for Sindhu’s success in upcoming tournaments.
Sindhu, an ardent devotee of Goddess Durga, told reporters that she worships the deity every year.
"I had pledged that if I win a medal at Olympics, I will come again. Today, I have come here to fulfill that pledge," she said.
Before leaving for Rio, Sindhu had visited here to seek blessings of the Goddess Mahakali during the Bonalu jatara, a festival indigenous to Telangana.
Sindhu's visit to the temple comes amid ongoing debate on her nativity and the attempts by both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to claim her as their own following her historic performance at Olympics. She was born in Hyderabad but her parents, both volleyball players, hail from Andhra Pradesh.
The tall 5' 11" silver medallist in women's singles badminton at Rio games has now set her eyes on the World Superseries, starting next month, the only trophy missing from her cabinet, while becoming the World No.1 remains her ultimate goal.
Sindhu had won the first set of badminton battle against World no. 1 Carolina Marin but the Spanish player roared back to win the next two sets to become the new Olympic women's badminton champion at Rio.
