Drunk man breaches security, climbs Rajagopuram of Govindaraja Swamy temple, asks for more alcohol

Hyderabad: Late Friday evening, a drunken man sparked chaos at Tirupati's iconic Sri Govindarajaswamy Temple by evading security, scaling the temple wall, and climbing the Rajagopuram just inside the main entrance.

He tampered with the kalasams-traditional metal finials- atop the tower. Identified as Kuttadi Tirupati 45, a daily-wage labourer from Kurmawada, Peddamalla Reddy Colony in Telangana's Nizamabad district, he resides in Tirupati with his wife who also works as a labourer and their two children. Tirupati East police and fire services took three hours to safely bring him down after he demanded a quarter bottle of liquor as a condition for descending.

Police shifted the inebriated man to East Police Station for further action.

Opposition YSRCP leaders condemned the incident as a blatant sacrilege, citing it as proof of the coalition government's failure to safeguard temples, faith, and devotees. Former TTD Chairman Bhuma Karunakar Reddy told media that the breach exposed a total collapse of security and governance at the historic site. He noted the Rajagopuram built during the Matla kings' era and a cherished Tirupati symbol had never faced such desecration before.

Reddy accused TTD leadership under Chairman BR Naidu of derailing priorities, favouring VIP services and political appeasement over devotee safety and dharmic duties. He highlighted disturbing reports that the accused supported Pawan Kalyan, with liquor and non-vegetarian items allegedly rampant in the Tirumala region.