Andhra Pradesh: 1 killed in stick fight as part of annual Banni festival

One person was killed, and over 100 were injured in “Karrala Samaram”, a stick fight as part of the annual Banni festival in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district on Thursday, police said.

The annual festival is held in Devaragattu as part of post-Dussehra festivities to pay obeisance to Sri Mala Malleswara Swamy.

Police said despite the injuries, devotees continued to participate in a centuries-old ritual, in which groups from different villages compete to gain possession of the idols of the presiding deity.

A police officer said Pothuraju, 28, a resident of Alur, died after being struck with sticks as devotees attempted to take control of the idols.

The injured were shifted to the government hospital in Alur for treatment. Medical camps were set up at the venue to provide emergency care to those wounded in the fight.

Thousands of devotees from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra participated in Banni.

The festivities began with the ceremonial wedding of Sri Mala Malleswara Swamy, conducted by Vedic priest Ravi Sharma after midnight on Wednesday. Following the ritual, the festival idols were carried in a palanquin from a hilltop to the Simhasana Katta at the foothills.

After special prayers and a Maha Mangala Harathi, the Banni victory procession, known as the deity’s Banni Jaitrayatra, commenced. Devotees entered the fray with sticks and torches as they sought to take possession of the festival idols.

The hill reverberated with traditional slogans, as thousands of devotees, many covered in turmeric powder, gathered under the glow of torches. Sticks were swung in the air during the confrontation, resulting in several devotees suffering head injuries and other serious wounds. The fight continued for more than half an hour.

The ritual is traditionally associated with a symbolic battle among devotees. The celebrations continued from midnight until dawn on the Devaragattu hill, approximately 800 feet high.