In a first, Tirupati temple cancels major services over coronavirus

TIRUPATI: The coronavirus scare has impacted Lord Balaji hill shrine atop Tirumala with the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) deciding to cancel some daily and weekly rituals and restrict congregation of pilgrims for religious events. Senior TTD officials on Saturday said never in the history of Tirumala, had TTD resorted to a ‘contingency plan’ such as this.

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Confirming that the coronavirus scare had forced their hand, TTD executive officer Anil Kumar Singhal told STOI: “We have never faced such a situation before. Our main focus is to ensure smooth passage of religious events for the lord without allowing pilgrims to congregate in big numbers.”

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Singhal said weekly rit