One person has died and more than 80 others were injured during the Devaragattu Banni festival’s traditional stick-fighting ritual in Nereniki village of Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district, near the Karnataka border, early on Thursday. Five of the injured were reported to be in critical condition.
The deceased was identified as Potharaju, 50, from Alur taluk. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, according to the report. Police sources said some people had suffered serious injuries and indicated that the death toll could rise.
The incident took place after the wedding ceremony of Malleshwara Swamy and Malamma Devi was held at Devaragattu around midnight on Wednesday. When the Chaitra Yatra began on the main street in the early hours of Thursday, groups from different villages competed to carry the festival idols. The contest included clashes with wooden sticks, known locally as banni or dandi fighting.
The Kurnool district police deploy a large security contingent every year to control the risks associated with the ritual. This year, about 1,000 police personnel, 100 closed-circuit cameras and 10 drones were used for surveillance and security, according to the report.
The festival involves taking the idols in a procession through locations including Padayagattu, Rakshasapada, the Shami tree and the Uttubasavana temple. Participants also engage in stick fighting and throw flaming torches, a practice known as karaku, during the procession. The ritual is traditionally linked to competing attempts by village groups to take the festival idols to their respective villages.
Raghuram Reddy, a village resident quoted by Prajavani, said one group included residents of Nereniki, Nereniki Thanda and Kothapeta, while the other comprised people from Arikera, Suluvayi, Ellarthi, Bilehal, Nitravathi and Alur. The clashes occurred as participants tried to take control of the idols during the procession.
The incident has placed renewed attention on the difficulty of managing a mass gathering in which physical confrontation forms part of the ritual. Despite the deployment of police personnel, cameras and drones, the festival resulted in a fatality and widespread injuries this year.
The injured remain under treatment at nearby hospitals, while police and local authorities are continuing to assess the situation and the condition of those reported to be seriously injured.
