New Delhi:
Two days earlier than the Vaikuntha Ekadasi pageant was set to start at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple on Andhra Pradesh’s Tirumala Hills, giant crowds descended at over 90 ticket counters arrange for the pageant.
Preparations have been in place for the distribution of 1,20,000 tokens to devotees for the “sarva darshan” (free darshan) of Lord Venkateshwara Swamy for the primary three days of the annual darshan on January 10 to 12.
Darshan tokens for the 10-day pageant have been to be handed from 5 am on Thursday, however 1000’s of individuals gathered an evening earlier than at counters arrange by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which oversees temple operations.
The distribution preparations have been made at 94 counters at three pilgrim lodges – Vishnu Nivasam, Srinivasam and Bhudevi complexes, in addition to different locations like Satyanarayanapuram, Bairagipatteda and Ramanaidu college in Tirupati, officers mentioned.
Tirupati Municipal Commissioner N Moruya mentioned the state of affairs went uncontrolled on the counter arrange at MGM Excessive College in Bairagipatteda, close to the Vishnu Nivasam temple. Round 4,000-5,000 individuals thronged the counter from Wednesday morning. By the night, the group grew to become unruly, resulting in pushing and jostling.
In keeping with BR Naidu, chairman of TTD, when a gate was opened to help a girl feeling unwell, the group surged ahead abruptly, resulting in chaos.
Lack of enough preparations to handle the crowds resulted in a stampede late Wednesday night, by which a minimum of six devotees died and over 40 have been have been injured.
The pageant permits devotees to wish to the deity Lord Venkateswara from the northern entrance of the temple.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned his ideas have been with those that misplaced their “close to and expensive ones”. Chief of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi urged Congress staff to supply all potential help on this troublesome time.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu condoled the incident, saying it “deeply disturbed” him. “The loss of life of a number of devotees in a stampede close to Vishnu Niwasam in Tirupati for tokens to go to Tirumala Srivari Vaikuntha Dwara has shocked me. This tragic incident, which happened at a time when devotees had gathered in giant numbers for tokens, deeply disturbed me,” Chandrababu Naidu wrote in a put up in Telugu on X.