Andhra: Stampede over Vaikuntha Ekadasi token system
Tirupati: Six people lost their lives and dozens were injured in a tragic stampede at a token distribution centre in Tirupati on Wednesday night, highlighting the challenges of the current token issuance system for Vaikuntha Ekadashi darshan.
The incident has triggered widespread concern, with critics citing the extended 10-day duration of darshan and reliance on advance tokens as key factors. Even chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu pointed out and asked TTD officials to pay more attention to it and even consult agam pandits on its sanctity.
An annual festival at the Tirumala hill temple, Vaikuntha Ekadashi traditionally lasts for two days, with devotees visiting the temple through online tickets worth Rs 300 or through the sarva (free) darshan lines without any additional tokens. However, in 2021, under the YSRCP, the TTD Trust Board led by YV Subba Reddy extended the Vaikuntha Dwara Darshan to 10 days to accommodate more devotees.
To manage the anticipated influx, the TTD introduced free time-slotted Sarva Darshan (SSD) tokens distributed at multiple counters in Tirupati and Tirumala. This change led to a significant increase in the number of pilgrims but also posed logistical challenges.
Since the introduction of this system, there have been repeated problems of overcrowding and occasional stampedes. In 2021, the problem was severe leading to minor lathicharge by the police on devotees. Minor incidents were also reported in the two years that followed.
There were also reports of jostling among devotees in queues at Tirumala in the 90s. But, there has never been such a massive stampede and death of devotees in the history of TTD.
For this year’s celebrations, the TTD announced the distribution of 1.20 lakh SSD tokens for darshan on January 10, 11 and 12, which will begin at 5 am on Thursday.
Tokens were issued at 94 counters – 90 at eight centres in Tirupati and four in Tirumala. From January 13 to 19, SSD tokens will be distributed at three centres in Tirupati.
Despite measures such as deployment of police personnel and installation of CCTV cameras, the massive rush of devotees overwhelmed the arrangements, leading to overcrowding and chaos. Initial reports suggest that the stampede was caused by uncontrolled crowds and inadequate crowd control measures.
TTD board chairman B R Naidu regretted the incident, calling it a tragic administrative lapse. He revealed that he had warned officials about the potential chaos and stressed the need for strict management, but the situation went out of control.
Wednesday’s incident has further intensified demands for a review of the token-issuing system. While the extended darshan period is aimed at accommodating more devotees, critics argue that it has exacerbated logistics and security issues. Observers suggest that the reliance on SSD tokens has led to overcrowding at distribution centres, and the scale of the influx far exceeds the administration’s preparations.
Many devotees and experts are urging the TTD to explore alternative methods, such as increasing the number of distribution centres, deploying more personnel to control crowds and improving infrastructure at high-demand locations. The tragedy has highlighted the urgent need for a comprehensive revamp of the system to ensure the safety of devotees in future celebrations.
But, the chief minister even said that devotees prefer to obtain tokens at Tirumala itself because of the sanctity and asked for a thorough review of token issuance at Tirupati.
Other reasons cited by many in nearby areas include the lack of adequate police force at Rama Naidu School which is entirely a local area. This time it is being said that some auto drivers have brought devotees from other places, because there has never been such a crowd here before. Due to this the number of devotees has increased much more than expected.
