The temple town of Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, descended into chaos as over 4,000 devotees gathered to secure tokens for the 10-day Vaikuntha Dwara Darshanam at the Lord Venkateswara Swamy Temple. Tragically, a stampede caused by overcrowding and administrative lapses claimed six lives and left 40 others injured.
The incident occurred at Bairagi Pattida Park when a woman devotee, Mallika, fell ill in a queue. The gates were opened to rush her to the hospital, but the crowd surged forward, triggering the stampede. Videos circulating on social media showed police attempting to manage the unruly crowd and performing CPR on the injured.
Sources revealed that no ambulances were on standby at the token centers, in violation of safety guidelines. It reportedly took 15–20 minutes for emergency services to arrive after the incident.
TTD Board Member and Officials Respond
Bhanu Prakash Reddy, a board member of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), expressed regret over the tragedy and said: “Six devotees died in the stampede, 40 have sustained injuries, we are providing the best medical facilities possible. This has never happened in TTD’s history. I sincerely seek an apology from the devotees.”
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Reddy also announced an inquiry into the incident and assured serious action against those responsible.
TTD Chairman BR Naidu attributed the incident to mismanagement and said: “We believe this happened due to a lapse of administration. The DSP opened the gate in one area and others ran away. One victim has been identified. Chief Minister Naidu will meet the victims’ families today.”
CM Chandrababu Naidu Takes Stock
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, and said: “The incident deeply disturbed me as it took place at a time when devotees had gathered in large numbers for tokens. I have directed higher officials to go to the spot and take relief measures… to provide better medical treatment to the injured and save their lives.”
Naidu is scheduled to visit Tirupati along with the state Health Minister to meet with victims’ families and assess the situation.
Security and Precautionary Measures
The TTD had earlier announced that only devotees holding darshan tokens or tickets would be allowed into queues at designated times due to limited accommodations in Tirumala. Despite deploying 3,000 police personnel across Tirupati and Tirumala, the arrangements failed to prevent the tragic stampede.
Executive Officer J Syamala Rao had emphasized crowd management measures, but the unprecedented turnout overwhelmed the system.
A Tragedy Amid Celebrations
The Vaikuntha Ekadashi celebrations, originally a two-day event, were expanded to 10 days under the previous YSR Congress government. While this was meant to accommodate more devotees, it has now raised questions about administrative readiness and crowd control measures.
As authorities investigate the lapses that led to this tragedy, devotees and locals alike mourn the loss of lives during a sacred occasion. The incident underscores the critical need for stricter crowd management protocols and emergency preparedness for large-scale religious gatherings.
