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Srikakulam Temple Tragedy: 9 Dead in Devastating Stampede Amid Ekadashi Rush

A devastating stampede at Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Srikakulam claimed nine lives during Ekadashi celebrations. The 95-year-old temple founder admitted they couldn't control the sudden large crowd that gathered. Andhra Minister Nara Lokesh cited "unknown amount of rush" and poor crowd management as contributing factors. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep anguish over the tragic incident that included one child among the victims.

Key Points: Andhra Temple Stampede Kills 9 Devotees During Ekadashi Crowds

  • Temple founder admits police weren't informed about Ekadashi event
  • Minister Lokesh blames unknown rush and poor crowd management
  • One child among nine victims killed in the tragic stampede
  • Chief Minister Naidu expresses anguish over painful incident
2 min read

Andhra Srikakulam Venkateswara Swamy temple stampede: Temple founder says large turnout led to mishap

Nine devotees killed in stampede at Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Srikakulam during Ekadashi festival. Temple founder cites unexpected large turnout as cause.

"Yesterday, I told the devotees to go inside the temple, but suddenly a large number of devotees came together at a time and we could not control it. - Hari Mukunda Panda"

Srikakulam, November 2

Founder of Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Andhra Pradesh's Kasibugga, in which nine people were killed in a stampede on November 1, said that the mishap took place due to an unexpected large turnout of devotees.

"Yesterday, I told the devotees to go inside the temple, but suddenly a large number of devotees came together at a time and we could not control it. We have not provided any information to the police... Whenever I am there, usually devotees enter there one by one and worship..." Hari Mukunda Panda, 95, said.

He further said that the police was not informed about the event at the temple on the ocassion of Ekadashi. "We haven't provided any information to the police. There's no need to inform the police every week for control purposes, as we usually manage things ourselves. The devotees generally listen to us. However, yesterday we were unable to control the crowd - we hadn't expected such a large turnout."

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh said that an "unknown amount of rush" at Venkateswara Swamy Temple led to a "lot of suffocation" and sadly resulted in the stampede due to a lack of crowd management.

On Saturday, he had said, "Being Ekadashi, like never before, pilgrims came here. They wanted to take the blessings of the Lord. This is a private temple. From morning 6 to afternoon 12, they perform darshans. Then, they take a break, and again at 3 pm, they reopen the temple. The temple has clearly two ways - one is entry and the other is exit."

Lokesh described the incident as "unfortunate," that the shrine has both an entry and an exit.

One child was among the nind people who were killed in the stampede at the temple on Saturday. The injured were immediately shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu observed a two-minute silence as a mark of respect for the victims at Praja Vedika. He expressed deep anguish over the tragedy and said the incident that occurred at Kasibugga was extremely painful.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
The founder saying "we usually manage things ourselves" shows overconfidence. When thousands gather, professional security and police coordination is essential. This tragedy was preventable with better planning.
S
Sarah B
As someone who has visited temples during festivals, I understand the devotion but safety must come first. The government should implement mandatory crowd management protocols for all major temples during important occasions.
A
Arjun K
Very sad incident. The 95-year-old founder might mean well, but temple management needs modern approaches. Police should be informed for large gatherings - it's basic safety protocol, not interference in religious matters.
M
Meera T
My heart goes out to the families who lost their loved ones. A child's life lost in a temple stampede - this is truly tragic. Hope the authorities learn from this and ensure better safety measures across all religious places.
D
David E
While I respect the temple management's autonomy, public safety cannot be compromised. The statement about "no need to inform police every week" is concerning. Better coordination could have saved lives today.

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