Sangbad Voice 9, News Desk: A stampede in
Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh killed at least six pilgrims and hurt many others on
Wednesday evening. A large crowd had shown up to get tickets for a sacred event
at the famous Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple in the Tirumala Hills. The chaos
broke out near the Vishnu Nivasam temple in Tirupati. The Tirumala Tirupati
Devasthanams (TTD) had set up counters there to give out tokens for the
much-anticipated Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam festival, which starts on January 10.
This 10-day event lets worshippers see the deity through the north entrance and
draws pilgrims from across the country.
By Wednesday morning, thousands had
gathered at various designated counters, including one located at MGM High
School in Bairagipatteda. As the day went on, the crowd grew larger and the
pushing became more intense. According to government officials, the stampede
broke out when a gate was opened to help a woman in distress. This prompted the
crowd to surge forward, resulting in chaos and tragic fatalities.
The TTD had organized the distribution of 120,000 tokens for the initial three days of the festival (January 10–12). These tokens provided a free opportunity for ‘sarva darshan’, allowing worshippers to pay their respects to Lord Venkateswara. Special counters were established at 94 locations, including Vishnu Nivasam, Srinivasam, Bhudevi complexes, and other sites in Tirupati.
Despite thorough preparation, the overwhelming number of devotees resulted
in a scenario reminiscent of a stampede, particularly at Srinivasam, where the
crowd rushed towards the counters. An official told The Hindustan Times that
the attendance exceeded expectations, making it challenging to manage the large
influx of pilgrims. Essentially, the newly appointed chairman of the TTD board,
BR Naidu, has adopted a largely public-friendly strategy since he assumed
office.
He even decided to suspend the VIP break Darshan program for the next 10
days to accommodate the many common pilgrims seeking the Vaikunta Darshan. In
general, the new TTD board has been fostering a positive image by implementing
improved sanitation measures, timely queue systems, enhancing laddu quality,
and other initiatives. Meanwhile, a political group is attempting to push their
own narratives during this crisis, following a tragic and unintended incident
that resulted in loss of life.
