The Heartbreaking Story Behind the Kasibugga Temple and Its 94-Year-Old Founder

The recent stampede at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga, Andhra Pradesh, has not only shaken the state but also brought the spotlight onto its founder — 94-year-old landlord Hari Mukunda Panda.

Panda, a lifelong devotee of Lord Venkateswara, built the temple entirely out of personal faith and devotion. His journey began fifteen years ago, when he travelled to Tirumala for darshan. After hours of standing in a long queue, he fell ill and was asked by security to step aside. Though he managed to get darshan the next day, the brief few seconds before the deity left him deeply unsatisfied. That moment changed his life — he resolved that if people couldn’t reach Tirupati, he would bring Tirupati to them.

Panda sold part of his coconut farmland and began constructing a replica of the Tirumala temple on 12 acres of land in Kasibugga. Every rupee spent came from his own pocket — no public donations, no temple committee. He even registered the land in the name of Lord Venkateswara before construction began.

The temple, featuring a magnificent nine-foot-tall idol carved from a single stone, opened just four months ago. Panda had proudly said that anyone unable to go to Tirupati could now have darshan here with the same devotion. Since its inauguration, thousands of devotees visited daily, especially during weekends and festivals.

However, what began as a heartfelt act of devotion turned into tragedy. During a recent festival, an overcrowded rush led to a stampede, killing seven women and two children. The heartbreaking incident left the entire state mourning.

Visibly shaken, Panda told the authorities that he had never seen such an incident since the temple’s opening. “We never imagined such a disaster,” he reportedly said, grief evident in his voice.

Now, the man who built this temple out of love faces legal scrutiny over an accident he never intended. The Kasibugga temple stands today as both a monument of devotion and a reminder of tragedy, forever linked to the noble yet sorrowful story of a 94-year-old devotee’s faith.