Thu Jan 09 09:07:05 UTC 2025: ## Tirupati Temple Stampede Leaves Six Dead, Token Distribution Chaos Ensues
**TIRUPATI, January 9, 2025** – Six devotees died in a stampede at token distribution centers for the Vaikunta Dwara Darshan at the Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati. The incident occurred ahead of the ten-day religious event, which began on January 10th. Despite the tragedy, all 1.2 lakh tokens for darshan on January 10th, 11th, and 12th were distributed within hours of the centers opening.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the temple, opened additional distribution centers across Tirupati to manage the expected crowds. However, confusion surrounding the early opening of the centers – prompted by the stampede – led to a surge in attendees. The TTD initially planned to distribute the tokens starting at 5 am on Thursday, January 9th, but opened the centers earlier due to the chaotic situation.
While 40,000 tokens were allocated for each of the three days, historical data suggests that most devotees prefer to visit on the first two days of the event, Vaikunta Ekadasi and Vaikunta Dwadasi. This pattern contributed to the high demand and the rapid depletion of tokens.
Following the distribution for the first three days, the TTD has temporarily closed the centers for January 10th and 11th, reopening on January 12th for the distribution of tokens for January 13th darshan. The incident highlights ongoing challenges in managing large crowds during religious events at the temple, despite the TTD’s efforts to improve distribution systems.
First Piper 