Tirupati temple board undecided on closing down despite priest death, 150-plus cases

Temple board feels infections were not contracted from devotees

78-venkateswara-temple In the dark: Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati | Bhanu Prakash Chandra

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Board remained undecided till Monday on whether to close the temple doors to devotees after more than 150 of its staff tested positive for COVID-19.

The discussion got shriller after a former chief priest of the Tirumala temple, Srinivasa Murthy Dikshithulu, passed away on Monday morning. The retired chief priest, who served in the Tirumala temples for over three decades, had been staying in Tirupati for more than a year. He developed respiratory issues and was rushed to Sri Venkateshwara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS), a medical arm of the TTD. Upon testing, he was found to be infected with COVID-19 and passed away while undergoing treatment. 

Though the deceased had not been discharging duties on the hill, his two sons are priests at temples under the TTD. 

Till date, a total of 18 pujaris or priests out of 50 have been diagnosed with COVID-19. More than 150 TTD staff, both regular as well as contract employees, have been infected ever since the temple doors opened for devotees after the lockdown. Among them is a senior priest who is in a serious condition and who has been admitted to a private hospital in Chennai.

Currently, there are 23,000 people working under the TTD.

In the past, a temple under TTD in Tirupati was closed for a couple of days after a staff member tested positive.

When asked if the Board is contemplating closing the main Tirumala temple in the wake of mounting cases, Executive Officer of TTD, Anil Singhal said that they have not taken any decision in this regard. 

Daily, 12,000 pilgrims are allowed into the temple on the hill. 

The TTD Board is confident that its staff members did not contract the virus from devotees, and hence there is no urgency to bar them from visiting the temple. COVID-19 was first detected among police department members posted on the hill for security. Later, staff employed in various roles inside the temple also contracted the virus. Among them were those involved in the distribution of Prasadam, as well as some priests.

A section among the hereditary priests has demanded that the temple be closed to the public so as to protect the priests from the virus.

The Honorary Chief Priest of Tirumala, A.V. Ramana Deekshithulu, had also appealed to the state government to close the temple for outsiders so as to allow the priests to continue with the religious rituals without getting affected by the virus as it can hamper their day-to-day activities.

Meanwhile, a lockdown was announced in Tirupati town for two weeks due to the surge in the number of cases. The officials announced that the movement of vehicles will not be allowed during the day. Traffic heading towards the Tirumala hill will be diverted to pass through designated routes on the outskirts of the city.