On the morning of November 1, 2025, a devastating stampede struck the Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga, Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, turning what should have been a day of spiritual celebration into a scene of chaos and heartbreak. The incident, which occurred during the auspicious Ekadashi festival, resulted in the deaths of at least nine people—including two children—and left many others injured. According to officials cited by The Indian Express and PTI, most of the victims were women, and the sudden crush of bodies overwhelmed the temple grounds in a matter of moments.
The tragedy unfolded around 11:30 AM, when an extraordinary surge of some 25,000 devotees descended upon the temple, far exceeding the usual Saturday turnout of 10,000 to 15,000. The Venkateswara Swamy Temple, spread over 12 acres and recently dubbed 'Chinna Tirupati' (small Tirupati) due to its growing popularity, simply could not accommodate the influx. The entry and exit points were the same, a design flaw that led to an unabated rush and, ultimately, disaster. A police official told The Indian Express that a railing in the queue area gave way under pressure from the crowd, causing people to fall over each other in a deadly domino effect. "The area where pilgrims were gathered was under construction and lacked basic strength," a top Andhra Pradesh police official added, highlighting the perilous conditions that contributed to the tragedy.
Compounding the situation, the temple is privately owned and did not have permission from the government to host such a large gathering for Ekadashi. It does not fall under the state’s Endowments Department, which oversees temple safety and crowd management. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, speaking at an event in Sri Sathya Sai district, made it clear: "A private individual constructed the Venkateswara temple at Kashi Bugga, and, due to Kartika Ekadashi, a large number of devotees gathered there. 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. Because of this lack of coordination, ten people lost their lives and five were injured." Naidu has since ordered a full-fledged inquiry and promised strict action against those responsible for the oversight.
As news of the disaster spread, condolences poured in from across the political spectrum. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his grief, stating, "Pained by the stampede in Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh. My thoughts are with those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover soon." The Prime Minister’s Office swiftly announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured, to be disbursed from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah echoed the nation’s sorrow, writing, "The stampede incident at Sri Venkateswara Swamy Devasthanam in Kasibugga, Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, which resulted in the loss of devotees' lives, has deeply shocked me. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased devotees. I pray that the injured devotees recover quickly." Other national leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi, also voiced their sadness and urged the state government to mobilize every resource to assist the victims and their families.
At the state level, Chief Minister Naidu was quick to instruct officials to provide speedy and proper treatment to the injured and to oversee relief measures on the ground. "The death of devotees in this tragic incident is extremely heartbreaking. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. I have instructed the officials to provide speedy and proper treatment to those who have been injured. I have requested the local officials and public representatives to visit the site of the incident and oversee the relief measures," Naidu posted on X. Andhra Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan went a step further, assuring the public, "The government will take all possible measures to ensure that the injured in this incident receive the best treatment. I hope they recover quickly. Expressing profound condolences to the families of the deceased, I assure them that the government will extend all kinds of support to them. I request the administrative machinery to regulate the crowds of devotees at temples across the state during spiritually significant days and ensure that no such accidents occur."
Other state ministers, including Nara Lokesh and Kinjarapu Atchannaidu, responded promptly. Lokesh, the Minister for Education and IT, said, "The stampede at the Kasibugga Venkateswara Temple has caused the deaths of several devotees, plunging us into profound shock. A deep sorrow has gripped us on this Ekadashi day. I extend my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. The government is providing better medical treatment to those injured in the stampede." Atchannaidu personally visited the site and the injured at Palasa government hospital, giving clear instructions to officials to ensure better medical services for the injured and pledging government support for affected families.
The aftermath saw disturbing scenes: visuals from the temple premises showed a massive crowd struggling to move as the stampede broke out, with some devotees lying motionless on the ground. Rescue operations were quickly underway, and authorities completed post-mortems before transporting the bodies to their native places in special ambulances. The government has promised that a thorough investigation will follow, with the goal of preventing such tragedies in the future.
Yet, this is not the first time Andhra Pradesh has faced such a calamity. Former Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy pointed out that similar incidents had occurred previously—six devotees died during Vaikuntha Ekadasi in Tirupati, and seven more perished at Simhachalam temple. He criticized the government’s lack of precaution, stating, "This repeated loss of innocent lives reflects the inefficiency of Chandrababu Naidu’s administration," and called for serious corrective measures to prevent further loss of life.
What went wrong? The facts point to a combination of factors: a private temple hosting a massive, unauthorized gathering on a spiritually significant day, inadequate crowd control due to lack of official oversight, and a physical environment ill-suited to handle such numbers. The entry and exit points being the same, ongoing construction, and weak barricades all contributed to the tragic outcome. Despite the temple authorities’ efforts to install railings and barricades, they proved insufficient against the extraordinary rush—especially among women devotees, who made up the majority of the crowd at the time of the stampede.
As the state mourns, the focus now shifts to accountability and reform. The government has pledged support for the victims and their families, but the tragedy serves as a somber reminder of the urgent need for better regulation, communication, and infrastructure at places of worship—especially during major festivals. For the families who lost loved ones, no amount of compensation can erase the pain, but there is hope that this incident will prompt serious changes to safeguard devotees in the future.
