3 Saleshwaram devotees die in stampede

Mahbubnagar: Three devotees died and 10 sustained injuries in a stampede on Thursday during the three-day annual Saleshwaram Jathara of Lord Shiva in Lingala mandal of Nagarkurnool district, even as the tropical environs of Nallamala forest reverberated with the chanting of 'Om Namah Shivaya'.

Every year lakhs of devotees visit the Saleshwaram Temple during the first week of April to witness Jathara and Brahmotsavam. As per the practice, the Endowments department released the schedule of the Jathara and decided to allow devotees for three days from April 5 so that the devotees could have a darshan of the presiding deity Saleshwara Swamy located at Rampurpenta of Appapur Penta Gram Panchayati in Lingala mandal.

As against the expectation of the Police, Forest and Endowment department authorities, more than 1.5 lakh devotees had visited Saleshwaram even before the beginning of celebrations at the Amrabad check post.

However, the Forest authorities denied permission for them to venture into the forest and stopped them at the check post and asked them to come between April 5 and 7. On Thursday, many devotees started trekking the rugged mountain ranges and downwards to reach the temple located deep inside the valley surrounded by mountain peaks on three sides in the forest area.

As the devotees reached the temple premises, they were stopped at the Garbhagudi. As soon as the temple authorities allowed the devotees to take a darshan with the advent of Poornima (full moon) subha muhurtham, thousands of devotees rushed forward for a darshan resulting in the stampede.

According to Nagarkurnool SP Manohar, 200 policemen have been deployed for controlling the devotees at the Jathara. However, the police could not handle the situation due to heavy rush resulting in the stampede. Additional police have now been deployed for the crowd management.