At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is catching communal colors, prominent Hindu temples in Andhra Pradesh, with Tirupati in forefront, have opened their doors for sheltering the COVID-19 suspects including the Delhi Markaz attendees and relatives.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which manages the famed Lord Venkateswara temple, has handed over several of its pilgrim rest houses like the Padmavati Nilayam and Vishnuvasam for COVID-19 mitigation.

Some premises of the Srikalahasti and Kanipakam Varasiddhi Vinayaka temples – also in Chittoor district like Tirupati – are designated as COVID-19 quarantine centres.

Speaking to DH, Chittoor collector Dr Bharath Gupta said that 100 rooms of one block of Padmavati Nilayam, 88 rooms at Kanipakkam and 14 rooms at Srikalahasti are presently set aside as quarantines.

187 people, including several connected to Nizamuddin Markaz, are in Padmavati Nilayam presently while about 40 such persons staying in Kanipakam “were sent back home after tests showed them as negative.”

“Since these guest houses have rooms with attached bathrooms and are nearest such facilities suitable for quarantine, we decided to utilize them for COVID-19 purpose,” Gupta said.

TTD’s Vishnuvasam, Srinivasam, etc. pilgrim rest houses are being used to accommodate the destitute, migrant workers, etc...

Srikalahasti is about 40 KMs and Kanipakam is 70 KMs from Tirupati. These temples led by Tirupati are visited by millions of devotees especially from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Telangana but are closed since the middle of March due to the COVID-19 scare.

Chittoor district at the junction of AP, TN, Karnataka recorded 17 positive cases, out of the state's total 266 COVID-19 cases as of Monday morning.

Over 90 percent of the state’s COVID-19 tally are Markaz attendees or their contacts, which has prompted some people, especially on social media, to attribute the mounting cases to one religion, particularly the Tablighi Jamaat cult.

Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy has appealed to the public not to single out one sect as the virus spread cause, while asking them to be compassionate towards those tested positive.

“Coronavirus does not discriminate between communities, caste or creed; or differentiate between rich or poor, countries or continents,” Reddy said on Saturday in an address to the public.

“It is an invisible enemy we have to fight unitedly, in this hour of global crisis.”

A decision to extend temple facilities as quarantines depends on the cases and developing COVID-19 situation, officials say.