Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had held lengthy meetings with the Endowments Department — which oversees temples in the state — after the Tirupati stampede on January 8, but the measures discussed were never implemented, The Indian Express has learnt.
As Naidu ordered a probe into the stampede at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Kashibugga, Srikakulam district, where nine people died, it emerged that some crowd-control measures — railings, barricades, diversions, and separate entry and exit points — had been discussed earlier.
Officials said other suggestions included deploying temple management or police officers to prevent overcrowding, especially on weekends, festivals, and auspicious days; avoiding waiting-area gatherings; ensuring smooth flow at footwear counters; and stopping announcements about coupon or “prasad” distribution to prevent sudden surges.
However, these steps were not implemented in most temples, officials say.
“A majority of our temples are very old and narrow and were designed so that entry and exit are the same. Modifications to create new exit points often are not in alignment with vaastu,” an official said.
Officials also admitted that while the Endowments Department inspected several temples, private temples like the one at Kashibugga were not covered.
Eight women and a 13-year-old boy died in the stampede, while 31 were injured. After the incident, Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy said officials would visit privately managed temples with safety and security recommendations.
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The stampede is believed to have started when there was jostling for space in the women’s queue. Temple authorities said they had put up railings and barricades to control movement.
In his report to the state government, the Palasa Mandal Revenue Officer (MRO) wrote: “Since the entry and exit routes were the same, and the steel railings that were set up collapsed, people rushed in all at once, leading to a stampede.”
Soon after the incident, Naidu accused the temple of negligence, saying it failed to inform police of the event. Addressing a gathering in the Sri Sathya Sai district, he said a large number of devotees gathered without proper arrangements or prior intimation.
“It is extremely painful that innocent people lost their lives in the stampede. I pay my respects to the deceased. Unfortunately, the organisers did not inform the police or local authorities about the event. Had they informed us, we would have provided police protection and controlled the crowd,” he said. “A full-fledged inquiry will be conducted, and strict action will be taken against those responsible.”
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However, former YSRCP minister and Palasa MLA Seediri Appalaraju claimed the temple management had informed police of the heavy rush on Saturday, but “not enough officials were sent to man the crowds”.
“Several youths, including YSRCP workers who volunteer at the temple every Saturday, noticed the heavy rush and called the police, but not enough personnel were sent there. The state government should look into this,” he said.
On January 8, six people were killed and scores injured in a stampede at a counter distributing tickets for special darshan at the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala.
