The stampede that killed at least six people on Wednesday night is thought to have been started by hundreds of devotees vying for tickets to a religious festival in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.
An official from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) told that the event happened as a big number of devotees, who came from all over the nation, waited for tickets for the annual Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple on Tirumala Hills. On January 10, the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam (the deity’s darshan from the temple’s northern entrance) begins.
The incident “deeply disturbed” Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who expressed his condolences. “The death of several devotees in a stampede near Vishnu Niwasam in Tirupati for tokens to visit Tirumala Srivari Vaikuntha Dwara has shocked me. This tragic incident, which took place at a time when devotees had gathered in large numbers for tokens, deeply disturbed me,” Chandrababu Naidu wrote in a post in Telugu on X.
“In the wake of information that the condition of some of them is critical, 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. I am talking to the district and TTD officials from time to time and am taking stock of the situation,” the CM added.
What caused the Tirupati stampede? On January 9, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which is in charge of managing temple operations, set up special counters to give out darshan tokens for the Vaikunta Ekadasi festival. At MGM High School in Bairagipatteda, close to the Vishnu Nivasam temple in Tirupati, these tokens, which let worshipers to see Lord Venkateswara, were being distributed. Beginning Wednesday morning, thousands of devotees lined up at the counters, and by evening, the mob had become out of control due to jostling and pushing.
The TTD chairman, BR Naidu, stated that the stampede started when a gate was opened to help a woman who was ill, but the mob suddenly rushed forward, causing mayhem.
Plans for distributing 120,000 tokens – According to officials, the TTD organized for the devotees to receive 120,000 tokens for Lord Venkateshwara Swamy’s “sarva darshan” (free darshan) over the first three days of the yearly darshan on January 10–12. In addition to other locations like Satyanarayanapuram, Bairagipatteda, and Ramanaidu school in Tirupati, the distribution arrangements were established at 94 counters at three pilgrim lodges: the Vishnu Nivasam, Srinivasam, and Bhudevi complexes, according to officials.
To get the tokens for the yearly trip, chaos erupted in Srinivasam. In order to obtain the tokens, the pilgrims rushed forward toward the counters, creating a situation akin to a stampede, the official continued.
TTD apologizes for the stampede in Tirupati – According to news agency PTI, TTD board member Bhanu Prakash called the stampede regrettable and asked Srivari (Lord Venkateswara Swamy) devotees for their pardon. He claimed that although there was a gap and that strict measures will be implemented, the lives that were lost could not be recovered.
Videos went viral showing police officers performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a couple of female devotees and transporting injured people in ambulances.
PM Modi conveys sorrow -The death of the worshipers in the stampede was deeply regretted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to Modi, the state government was helping the incident’s victims in any way it could.
The Prime Minister’s Office posted on social media platform X (previously Twitter), saying, “Pained by the stampede in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. My thoughts are with those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover soon. The AP Government is providing all possible assistance to those affected: PM @narendramodi.”
