Nita Ambani in Tirumala. Picture by Vijayalakshmi

Hyderabad, April 25: With Sachin Tendulkar nursing an injured hand, the Mumbai Indians had flown hundreds of miles in the dead of night to seek some extra help. But that eleventh-hour trip bore little fruit on the ground tonight.

Franchise owner Nita Ambani had landed up at Tirumala’s Srivari temple at 2.30am today, apparently to implore Lord Balaji to bat for her team in the IPL final.

Rules were waived and tradition given the short shrift from the moment Nita Ambani and mother-in-law Kokilaben arrived at Tirupati’s Renigunta airport a little after midnight, leading a 13-member entourage.

“Although we don’t have regular night-landing facility, special arrangements were made following pressure from the directorate-general of civil aviation to facilitate the chartered flight’s landing,” a district official said.

The visitors were driven to the family guesthouse at Tirumala. Mukesh Ambani had donated Rs 5 crore for the construction of the guesthouse, where the Ambani family are assured rooms whenever they arrive for a darshan.

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam chairman D.K. Adikeshavulu Naidu was up early to receive the VIP guests, whom he led into the Srivari temple at 2.30am, at least an hour before visitors are allowed there.

“Nita Ambani and her relatives were the first to have darshan of Lord Venkateswara this morning,” chief priest A.V. Ramana Dikshitulu confirmed. Nita Ambani was allowed to sit in front of the deity for half an hour during the Suprabata Seva, an honour usually reserved for Prime Ministers and Presidents.

She dropped two suitcases filled with currency and a duffel bag full of gold ornaments into the temple’s hundi (donation box), sources said. They suggested the total donation could be anywhere between Rs 1 crore and Rs 2 crore.

“We will assess the value of the donations on Monday when the hundi is opened,” an official said over the phone. Sources said Kokilaben dropped another bag of currency and jewellery into the hundi.

But the Chennai Super Kings had stolen a march over the Mumbai team. Sources said CSK owner N. Srinivasan had recently visited the temple and donated Rs 2 crore in cash and an equal amount in gold. His team triumphed in tonight’s final.

Balaji could hardly have satisfied all his IPL devotees. Officials and owners from various teams — including the Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders and the Deccan Chargers — had visited the temple. Vijay Mallya, who owns Royal Challengers Bangalore, had been one of the earliest IPL visitors this season. He donated Rs 2 crore.

The Ambanis, however, outdid all: this was their second Tirupati trip this IPL season. About 10 days ago, Mukesh Ambani had come and donated Rs 5 crore towards the temple’s gold-plating scheme.

“We are not surprised,” a Devasthanam source said. “During IPL I and IPL II, too, most of the owners and even some players had visited the Srivari temple.”