Tirupati Stampede: TTD Fails to Manage Huge Crowd

The TTD management had opened 94 counters in nine centres across Tirupati/Tirumala. Vaikunta Dwara Darshan (entry through the celestial threshold) has been announced for ten days ie. from January 10 to 19.

Tirupati’s Vaikunta Ekadasi Preparations Fail Amid Devotee Rush

Despite the meticulous planning and near-perfect execution by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) for the Vaikunta Ekadasi festival, the heavy rush of devotees overwhelmed the arrangements. Devotees flocked to Tirupati a day before the scheduled token issue, leaving the planning inadequate.

The TTD had set up 94 counters across nine locations in Tirupati and Tirumala. The Vaikunta Dwara Darshan (entry through the celestial threshold) will be available for ten days, from January 10 to 19.

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Tirupati Token Distribution Chaos Leads to Stampede

Token distribution for darshan on January 10 was officially set to begin at 5 a.m. on January 9, with 1.20 lakh tokens allocated from January 10 to 12. The tokens were to be issued until the quota for the first three days was exhausted, after which they would be available at regular counters in Srinivasam, Vishnu Nivasam, and Bhudevi complexes for the next seven days.

Devotees began arriving at the centres as early as Wednesday afternoon, securing their spots in the queue. However, the heavy rush led to pushing and jostling at various locations, including Ramachandra Pushkarini, Mahati Auditorium, Jeevakona, and Bairagipatteda centres. Despite the presence of police, controlling the crowd became increasingly difficult as the rush intensified. Tragically, the surge led to the death of a woman devotee at the Bairagipatteda centre.

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CM responds

Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu expressed grief over the stampede incident that killed four during Vaikunta Ekadasi token distribution. He contacted TTD authorities to inquire about the injured and instructed district officials to control the situation.

Minister Nara Lokesh also conveyed his condolences and urged TTD to strengthen arrangements to prevent future incidents.