Former Tirupati Temple head priest succumbs to Covid-19

The former Chief Priest of Tirumala Tirupati Deavasthanam (TTD), Peddinati Srinivasa Murthy Dixith died of Covid-19 infection on Monday morning. The 75-year-old former Chief Priest of the famous hill shrine in Andhra Pradesh was ailing from high fever for the last four days.

Subsequently, Dixith had also developed severe respiratory congestion on Saturday. He was rushed to Venkateshwara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS). Upon diagnosis, Dixith had tested positive for the Covid-19 and breathed his last on Monday morning, according to sources in TTD.

More than 15 priests, out of the 50 priests at the TTD, had tested positive for Covid-19 and several priests are being treated at a hospital in Chennai. A few days ago, another former Chief Priest-Ramana Dixith had appealed to the TTD Board to close the doors of the temple for a few days.