Violence at the Devaragattu Banni Utsavam, an ancient festival in Holagunda mandal of Kurnool district, left two devotees dead and over a hundred injured on Thursday (October 2, 2025) night, with the surge in crowd crossing over 2 lakh from all over Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka.
The festival, as usual, commenced as a devotional ritual on the night of Vijayadashami. Instead of enacting the symbolic clash of sticks, the participants of the two groups took to violence, creating commotion and tragedy. The police said at least five of the injured were in a critical condition and were admitted to the Government General Hospital at Adoni.
The traditional celestial wedding of Mallamma and Malleshwara Swamy, the presiding deities of the hill shrine, started late in the evening, followed by the procession of the idols. According to local legends, the hysterical mass festival is celebrated to commemorate the slaying of demons by the presiding deities.
Devaragattu Banni Utsav in Andhra Pradesh
| Video Credit: The Hindu
