/PALASA
The Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple at Kasibugga in Srikakulam district, where the tragic stampede occurred on Saturday, was built reportedly by Hari Mukunda Panda, an 80-year-old resident of Palasa town who originally hailed from Odisha. Spread over 12.40 acres, the temple is currently being managed by Mukunda.
According to residents, Mukunda visited Tirupati for the darshan of Sri Venkateswara Swamy a few years ago, but could not get to glimpse the presiding deity despite waiting in queue for nearly five hours. Disheartened, he shared the experience with his mother, who then suggested that he construct a temple similar to the one in Tirupati, so that not only he but also others unable to visit Tirupati could have the darshan of Lord Venkateswara locally.
Following his mother’s advice, his family built the temple on 12.40 acres, ensuring that the idol of Sri Venkateswara was designed to closely resemble the original one at Tirupati. The temple was consecrated about six months ago, but quickly gained popularity among the locals and also in Odisha, with a number of social media influences doing tours of the temple.
Over the past few months, the story of Hari Mukunda Panda’s devotion spread across several villages in the district. Devotees from interior parts of Srikakulam and even from neighbouring Odisha fondly refer to it as ‘Chinna Tirupati’ and visit the temple in large numbers to offer prayers, especially on auspicious dates, such as on Saturday (November 1), which coincidentally was the first Ekadasi of the auspicious Kartika masam (Kartika month), as per the Hindu calendar.
Published – November 02, 2025 01:13 am IST
