A golden umbrella worth about Rs. 1 crore placed on the golden chariot of Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy at Tirumala has been stolen. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam’s Joint Executive Officer Bhaskar on Thursday directed officials to file a complaint in the police station.
According to sources, the golden umbrella is worth over Rs. 1 crore, and was placed atop the chariot, a few yards away from the temple’s main entrance. The place is guarded by black cat commandos who provide security to the temple at Tirumala.
The thieves had cut one of the tin sheets covering the chariot to gain access to it, the officials said.
The burglary came to light on Wednesday evening, but the time of the theft is unclear, the sources said.
The golden chariot is usually placed on the southern side of the golden temple, and is housed in a shed made with steel sheets. The officials observed that the sheets were cut.