The customary stick fight at the Banni Utsavam on Devaragattu hills in the Kurnool district on the night of Dassara turned into a tragedy this year leaving two people dead and more than 100 injured despite heavy police deployment for the ritual.
Banni Utsavam is a centuries-old ritual in which the villagers re-enact the victory of Lord Shiva over the demons Mani and Mallasura at midnight of Dussehra. Though steeped in tradition, the ritual is controversial because of the bloodshed and fatalities incurred on the occasion. The festival is locally known as the Karrala Samaram.
Around three lakh devotees from AP and the neighbouring Telangana and Karnataka take part in the festivities at Sri Mala Malleswara Swamy temple. This time, the district police deployed 800 of its personnel and installed the CCTV cameras and drones for surveillance. However, all the precaustion proved too inadequate to maintain peace.
Every year, devotees from three villages, along with those from seven other villages, carry out their deities invariably leading to a fight with sticks between different groups. This time around, apart from two fatalities, around ten people are said to be in a critical condition. The injured were taken to the hospitals at Adoni and Aluru for treatment. According to Sub Collector Mourya Bharadwaj, one person died of head injuries sustained during the clash, while another died of a heart attack.
A day before the festival, Kurnool SP Vikrant Patil urged the devotees to celebrate the day as a “happy occasion” instead of a battleground. In 2023, three people were killed and over 100 were injured in the stick fight.
Although authorities put up a medical camp to treat the injured, most of the injured devotees prefer to apply turmeric to their wounds. No complaints are lodged either, even though fatalities have been occurring for years. Every year, demands for a ban on the ritual pour in from all quarters. However, the debate over the tradition has so far gone in favour of those who want it to be retained.