VISAKHAPATNAM/VIJAYAWADA: Six devotees died and over 30 were injured, some of them critically, when a stampede broke out in the queue lines in the temple town of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh while they were waiting for the issuance of Vaikunthadwara Sarvadarshan tokens on Wednesday evening. The situation escalated at around 8 pm when Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) officials started issuing tokens at various centres in Tirupati, including Vishnu Nivasam, Srinivasam, and Padmavati Park.
The stampede occurred at two places when the gates were opened to allow an unwell devotee to come out of the queue. Devotees, many of whom had queued up since early morning, surged forward in large numbers, causing severe overcrowding and chaos. Reportedly, without adequate crowd management measures in place, the situation spiralled out of control.
TTD had planned to distribute tokens through 94 counters at nine centres for the Vaikunthadwara Sarvadarshan, which falls on Jan 10 (Ekadasi). However, a sudden surge of devotees in the evening overwhelmed the process, resulting in overcrowding.
Mallika, a devotee from Salem of Tamil Nadu, succumbed to her injuries while being transported to Ruia Hospital. Three people died while receiving treatment at Ruia hospital, while two more devotees died while being treated at SVIMS. Authorities fear the number may increase.
Vigilance and police forces were deployed to restore order at the affected locations. TTD had earlier announced that 1.2 lakh tokens would be issued for the first three days of Vaikunthadwara darshan (Jan 10, 11, and 12). For the remaining days, tokens were to be distributed at Vishnu Nivasam, Srinivasa, and Bhudevi complexes in Tirupati.
Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep shock over the tragic deaths. “I am deeply disturbed by the incident, which occurred when a large crowd of devotees surged to collect the tokens, resulting in the loss of six lives,” said Naidu. He spoke to officials about the treatment being provided to the injured. “I am in constant communication with district and TTD officials. I have instructed senior officials to visit the incident site and initiate relief measures, and ensure that the injured receive the best medical care.”
“This tragedy could have been avoided had the system (token distribution), followed post the Covid-19 years, been in place,” a man, who was waiting at Padmavathi Park holding point, said.
“Even four police personnel were not present when the gate was opened. Thousands of people waiting for hours rushed to collect the tokens,” a woman, who survived the stampede, said.
TTD, which manages the famous Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala, is one of the richest religious institutions in the world. The revenue generated by the temple is substantial, primarily from offerings by devotees, ticket sales for darshans, donations, and various services provided at the temple. Over 2.55 crore pilgrims visited the iconic temple in 2024, with the temple receiving Rs 1,365 crore in Hundi collections last year.
The Vaikunthadwara Darshan at Tirumala is one of the most significant and highly anticipated events for devotees. The term ‘Vaikunthadwara’ refers to a special darshan that takes place around the Vaikuntha Ekadashi festival and during other special periods, where devotees believe they get a glimpse of the divine gates of heaven (Vaikuntha). During these occasions, lakhs of devotees (millions) participate, flocking to the temple for the special darshan. The number of devotees seeking this darshan reached over 2-3 lakh on peak days, such as Vaikuntha Ekadashi and surrounding days.