Srikakulam
A tragic stampede at the Sri Venkateswara Swami temple in Srikakulam on Saturday left nine people dead — eight women and a young boy — and several others injured. The stampede occurred during the Ekadasi observance, which coincided with Karthika Masam, drawing unusually large crowds.
Temple founder and priest, 94-year-old Hari Mukunda Panda, said he could not anticipate such a massive gathering. “What should I do if so many people come at once? I usually send everyone in line, there were too many people rushing. I did not inform the police,” he told the media. Panda added that he remained at the temple until 3 PM without lunch, trying to control the crowd.
Srikakulam District Superintendent of Police KV Maheshwara Reddy stated that the temple, built on Panda’s private land, was not registered with the Endowments Department and had not applied for police protection or the necessary permissions. The temple was also not converted for non-agricultural use, making the gathering unregulated.
Panda emphasized that devotees rushed for darshan on their own, and the stampede was not intentional. Authorities are now investigating the incident and reviewing the temple’s compliance with safety regulations.