Mothers Who Waited Hours for Darshan Coupons: The Victims of the Tirupati Stampede

The stampede that occurred late Wednesday at Tirupati left six people dead, five of whom were women — mothers who had traveled with their families in hopes of seeking darshan of Lord Venkateshwara during the auspicious Vaikunta Ekadasi.

Among the victims were Lavanya Swati (37), Kandipilli Santhi (35), and Rajini (47) from Visakhapatnam. The three women, from Thatichetlapalem, Kancharapalem, and Maddilapalem respectively, had joined the long queues on Wednesday morning to secure free darshan coupons. They had waited patiently for over 12 hours while their husbands and children queued elsewhere. Santhi’s husband, an autorickshaw driver, and their son, a secondary school student, were part of this pilgrimage, which they hoped would be a spiritual start to the new year.

The group planned to climb the temple steps to Tirumala after collecting the coupons. Tragically, their journey was cut short.

Two other victims, Malliga (50) from Salem, Tamil Nadu, and Nirmala from Karnataka, succumbed to their injuries while being transported to the hospital.

The sixth victim, Babu Naidu (51) of Narasipatnam, was injured in the stampede at a ticket counter in Bairagipatteda. Despite being rushed to SVR Ruia Government Hospital, he passed away an hour later.

Chaos and Aftermath

The stampede, which occurred at one of the many counters set up to distribute darshan coupons, left behind a scene of chaos. Rescue teams and volunteers worked tirelessly on Thursday, collecting mobile phones, purses, and other personal belongings scattered during the tragedy and attempting to return them to their rightful owners.

At least 25 injured individuals received treatment at Ruia Hospital and Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Science before being discharged. Twelve others with broken ribs or bones remain under medical care, though officials have assured that they are out of danger.

Continuing Rush Despite Tragedy

Despite police efforts to control crowds at the ticket counters, the rush persisted on Thursday. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams has already issued 1.2 lakh tickets and plans to release more in the coming days to accommodate the influx of pilgrims.

Government Response

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is scheduled to visit the temple later today. He will meet the injured at the hospitals and hold a review meeting with the Superintendent of Police and the District Collector to discuss safety measures, as the number of devotees is expected to increase significantly over the next few days.

This heartbreaking incident highlights the challenges of managing massive crowds during significant religious events, raising urgent questions about the safety of devotees and the adequacy of arrangements made by authorities.