Jammu, May 21 (PTI) Head priest at the revered Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Amir Chand passed away at his residence in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district on Saturday, officials said.

The 85-year-old 'Pratham Pujari' apparently died of a heart attack at his Katra residence as he collapsed shortly after complaining of chest pain, they said.

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Thousands of mourners turned up to bid adieu to the priest who was taken in a procession to Balganga crematory, where his mortal remains were consigned to flames around 4 pm.

Several prominent political leaders, including BJP's Devender Singh Rana, attended the funeral.

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Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who is also the chairman of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), expressed grief over the priest's death.

In a tweet in Hindi, the Lt Governor said, "The news of the death of Shri Amir Chand Ji, the chief priest of Mata Vaishno Devi Ji, is extremely sad. I pay my humble tributes to him. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family and followers. Om Shanti."

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)