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After former head priest of Tirumala dies of Covid-19, TTD under pressure to shut temple
The TTD staff pointed out that more than 1,000 positive cases of Covid-19 were reported in Tirupati town and around 100 employees of the TTD had tested positive.
The death of a former chief priest of Lord Venkateshwara Swamy temple in Tirumala due to Covid-19 on Monday lent credence to the demand of the priests and employees of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams for a temporary closure of the temple for darshans to check the spread of the coronavirus.
Srinivasa Murthy Deekshitulu (75), one of the 18 priests of Tirumala temple who had tested positive for Covid-19 last week, passed away at Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS).
SVIMS Director B Vengamma said Deekshitulu, who was admitted to the hospital on Saturday, was suffering from co-morbidities including diabetes and kidney-related ailments.
Deekshitulu, who belonged to the Archakam Peddinti family, one of the four families of hereditary priests associated with the Tirumala temple for centuries, had served as the chief priest for over two decades.
He was forced to retire along with three other priests in 2018 by the previous Telugu Desam Party government. After the YSR Congress party government came to power, he had been participating in the temple rituals though his position was not restored.
As per the temple custom, the last rites of any hereditary priest have to be held as per a specific procedure associated with the temple. However, in the wake of the present Covid-19 situation, the TTD decided against following the customs.
Soon after the death of Deekshitulu, TTD trust board chairman Y V Subba Reddy flew to Vijayawada to have a meeting with chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to discuss the demand from various sections of the TTD for closure of the temple for darshans by pilgrims.
Subba Reddy told the reporters last week that 15 out of 50 priests at Tirumala temple had tested positive, apart from 140 TTD employees since the famous temple was re-opened for darshan on June 8.
Honorary head priest of the temple A V Ramana Deekshitulu found fault with the TTD authorities for continuing to allow darshans in the temple despite a surge in Covid-19 cases in Tirumala.
He alleged that the TTD officials were obediently following anti-hereditary archaka and anti-Brahmin policy of TDP led by N Chandrababu Naidu. “Disaster if this continues. Please take action,” he requested the CM.
The TTD Staff and Workers United Front, affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, submitted a representation to TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal requesting that darshan at the temple be temporarily suspended in the wake of growing number of positive cases on the Tirumala hills.
The TTD staff pointed out that more than 1,000 positive cases of Covid-19 were reported in Tirupati town and around 100 employees of the TTD had tested positive. “These employees can end up infecting devotees when they go up the hill to Tirumala to perform duties. In this context, employees are all very worried,” they said.
