Tirupati, April 15 (IANS) With the Centre extending nation-wide lockdown till May 3 to contain the spread of coronavirus, the TTD has decided to keep the Lord Venkateswara temple shut for devotees for the extended period.

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the affairs of India's richest temple, made the announcement after the Centre decided to extend the lockdown further.

The TTD has decided to continue the suspension of the Srivari darshan at Srivari temple for pilgrims till that date, the temple body said in a statement.

Earlier, on the directions of the government, the TTD had suspended darshan for pilgrims from March 19 till April 14.

However, all kainkaryams will continue to be performed in the temple as per the agamas in Ekantam.

Only a few staff members were allowed inside the temple for the rituals of Koil Alwar Thirumanjanam and Ugadi Asthanam on March 24 and 25 respectively.

Meanwhile, the TTD has enlarged the scope of anti-Covid-19 operations at all its organisations and employees' residential quarters after successfully addressing the sanitisation issues in the TTD administrative building and its rest houses at Tirumala and in Tirupati.

TTD's health department has roped in 700 sanitary workers for maintaining all its institutions.

Garbage removal, spraying of sodium hypochloride and bleaching powder has been taken up on a massive scale at all locations which included residential quarters of senior officials, and employees' residential quarters.

The cleaning exercises have also been extended to TTD temples and buildings at Tirupati, Tiruchanoor, Srinivasa Mangapuram, Appalayagunta, and Chandragiri areas also.

Sanitisers and masks have been provided to employees working on shift basis at Employees canteen, Srinivasam pilgrims' complex, Sri Padmavati Degree College Hostel, and Annaprasadam complex at Tiruchanoor.

--IANS

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