Tirupati. The situation at the Sri Govindarajaswamy temple under Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) located in the spiritual city of Tirupati turned tense on Tuesday night when an inebriated youth climbed the high gopuram (peak of the main building) of the temple. This incident not only created chaos in the temple premises, but also raised huge concerns regarding the safety of the sacred urns installed there. This incident happened around 10 pm, when there is usually peace in the temple premises after the solitary service.
As soon as the security personnel got information about the presence of some outsider on the top of the main building, there was panic in the administration. It is being told that the accused youth had entered inside the temple by climbing the high boundary wall. Before the Security and Vigilance Department staff could stop him, he quickly reached the top of the Gopuram located near Mahadwaram. After reaching there, he partially damaged two urns considered sacred, which deeply hurt the religious sentiments of the devotees.
The accused has been identified as Kuttadi Tirupati, a resident of Nizamabad district of Telangana. According to eyewitnesses and police, he was in a state of heavy intoxication and had no regard for his life. When police and fire department personnel tried to convince him to come down, he started creating ruckus instead of cooperating. The limit was reached when he demanded liquor in exchange for getting down. He warned in clear words that he would not come down unless he was given liquor. Seeing the situation worsening, the police and fire department launched a joint rescue operation. Iron stairs and ropes were used during this high-voltage drama that lasted for about three hours. After much effort, the rescue team safely overpowered the accused and brought him down. During this period any major mishap was averted. After being pulled down, the accused was immediately taken to Tirupati East Police Station, where he confessed to demanding liquor during interrogation. This incident has raised serious questions on the security arrangements of the temple. At such an important religious place, a person climbing the wall and reaching the Gopuram is considered a major security lapse. Police officials say that a detailed investigation of the matter is being done and it is being found out where the security cordon was lacking. Instructions have been given to monitor and tighten the temple premises to prevent such incidents in future.
