One killed, 70 people injured in Banni festival in Andhra Pradesh

On Saturday evening a crowd of nearly three thousand participants gathered at Devaragattu Hills near the Sri Malamalleswara Swamy temple in Andhra Pradesh for the annual Banni festival. The event, which traditionally includes a ritual stick fight, turned violent when groups began striking each other with wooden sticks. The clash resulted in one person being killed and about seventy others sustaining injuries ranging from minor cuts to serious bruises. Emergency services arrived quickly, but the sheer size of the gathering slowed rescue efforts. Police have sealed off the area while investigators begin to piece together the sequence of events.

The Banni festival is a centuries‑old celebration observed by several tribal communities in the Rayalaseema region. It marks the beginning of the harvest season and includes a ceremonial combat that is meant to display strength and unity among participants. Historically the ritual is carefully supervised by local elders who set limits on the number of participants and the length of the fight. In recent years the event has attracted larger crowds, partly due to increased media coverage and tourism, which has strained the ability of traditional organizers to maintain order. Past editions have seen minor injuries, but the scale of the current gathering was unprecedented.

State authorities have launched a full investigation into the incident, with the Andhra Pradesh police filing a case under sections related to unlawful assembly and homicide. The district collector has ordered a review of safety protocols for future festivals and urged community leaders to limit the number of participants in the stick‑fighting segment. The temple management has expressed sorrow for the loss of life and pledged to cooperate with officials. For residents of the surrounding villages, the tragedy raises concerns about public safety at cultural events and may prompt stricter regulation of similar gatherings across the state.