Andhra Pradesh Stampede Tragedy: Elderly Priest Defends Not Informing Authorities Before Fatal Ekadashi Event

At 94 years old, Hari Mukunda Panda, a devoted follower of Lord Venkateswara, established a temple in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh just four months prior. The temple, designed to resemble the magnificent Venkateswara Swamy temple at Tirumala, gained local recognition as 'Chinna Tirupati' or 'Mini Tirupati'. Construction was still ongoing when tragedy struck during Ekadashi. A massive crowd at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Kasibugga resulted in a fatal stampede, claiming nine lives, including eight women and one child.

In conversation with NDTV, Panda admitted he hadn't notified local authorities about the Ekadashi event. "I constructed this temple on my private property. Why would I need to inform the police or administration?" he questioned.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had previously stated that proper arrangements could have been made to handle the crowd if police had been informed beforehand, placing blame on temple management for the tragedy. He promised firm action regarding the incident.

"File as many cases as you want. I have nothing to hide," Panda declared.

The elderly priest mentioned that the temple typically attracts fewer visitors, and he hadn't anticipated such a large gathering on Ekadashi.

"Our temple usually sees smaller crowds. After viewing the deity, devotees receive prasad before departing. I don't request anything from them. I prepare the food and prasad using my own funds. However, yesterday the crowd unexpectedly grew around 9 am. We ran out of the prasad we had prepared. There wasn't enough time to cook additional food," he explained.

Following the tragedy, the temple has been closed. A padlock now secures the entrance, with police officers still stationed within the premises.

Several shortcomings have been identified in the aftermath of the disaster that exacerbated conditions for devotees in the overcrowded temple. The structure had only a single combined entry and exit point, with handrails lining the narrow pathway leading to the main building.

(With inputs from Dev Kumar Ghosh)