Tirupati temple’s former chief priest dies due to COVID-19
- Former chief priest of the Tirumala Balaji temple died of coronavirus on Monday
- The 73 year old priest had been admitted to a hospital last thursday
- 158 staff members have tested positive of coronavirus ever since the temple reopned
The former chief priest Srinivasamurthy Dikshutulu of the Tirumala Tirupati Balaji temple in Andra Pradesh died due to coronavirus- related complications on Monday temple.
The temple board, however, has clarified that the former priest “was not on duty”. Earlier, 158 staff members along with 21 priests had tested positive for the coronavirus but the temple premises has remained open since.
The 73-year-old priest who had been suffering from COVID-19 was admitted to hospital on Thursday had served the temple for over three decades. The priest, however, had been relieved from his duties last year according to a NDTV report.
The temple had reopened on July 11 and has allowed 12,000 devotees to visit temple premises ever since. The temple authorities are currently “monitoring the situation” and a final decision will only be held after consultation with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy.
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