Despite as many as 140 employees of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), including 14 archakas, having tested positive for coronavirus over the past one month, the temple management on Friday made it clear that it had no plans of stopping the general public from the darshan of Lord Venkateshwara.
TTD Trust Board chairman YV Subba Reddy held a meeting with the archakas on Thursday to take stock of the situation and ensure the daily “ kainkaryams” to Srivaru are not disrupted in case of any eventuality.
“ So far, 140 employees, including 14 archakas, potu workers and security staff, tested positive for the virus. Of them, 70 have recovered and some of them returned to work. Only one employee is in the ICU, and we are in touch with the SVIMS authorities and monitoring the recovery. We have no plans to close the temple or stop darshan of the Lord,” Subba Reddy said.
The TTD Board chairman’s assertion comes even as the honorary chief priest, Ramana Dikshitulu, too has raised concern over priests and employees testing positive. “ @ysjagan 15 out of 50 archakas carona +ve quarantined. Still 25 results awaited. TTD EO and
AEO refuse to stop darshans. Obediently following anti hereditary archaka and anti brahmin policy of TDP and CBN. Disaster if this continues. Please take action,” Ramana Dikshitulu tweeted, tagging Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
But the chairman said the honorary chief priest should have given his suggestions to the TTD Board instead of putting them out on social media. Ramana Dikshitulu was removed as chief priest of the temple in 2018 after he crossed the age for retirement. He had also alleged the TTD of financial wrongdoings.
However, Reddy reappointed him honorary chief priest to serve the temple as an adviser after his YSR Congress Party came to power in May 2019.
Reddy said most of those who got infected with coronavirus are from the Andhra Pradesh Police who have been working with the temple. “ Only one of them is having severesymptoms,” he said.
“ We have no plan to close Tirumala temple. Senior priests will not be put on duty. Priests and employees have requested separate accommodation,” Reddy said, adding a separate facility for making food for the employees will be set up.
The TTD chairman maintained that so far no devotee who arrived for darshan has tested positive for coronavirus. “ None of the employees got the infection from devotees. It was mainly through their relatives and people in their neighbourhood,” he said, adding that Srivari darshan for devotees will continue at Tirumala with precautionary measures.” We are pooling young archakas from other local temples,” Subba Reddysaid.
“ The safety of archakas is of paramount importance. We made it clear that if the situation gets worse, darshan for devotees will be stopped, but ‘kainkaryams’ will be done without any hindrance,” he stated.
He added that the archakas suggested they be given separate accommodation and meals so they can stay in isolation. “ They also suggested that of the 40 archakas of the main temple, those who are aged above 60 years be sent to home quarantine or posted at Tirupati. We asked our officials to consider their suggestion,” Subba Reddy said.