Tirupati: A major security breach at the historic Sri Govindarajaswamy Temple in Tirupati on Friday night ended in the arrest of an inebriated man who climbed the temple’s gopuram and damaged the sacred metal finials atop the structure, according to media reports quoting officials.
The incident unfolded around midnight, shortly after the temple had concluded its Ekanta Seva rituals, when a man, identified as Nizamabad district resident Kuditi Tirupathi, evaded security and entered the temple complex in an intoxicated state, reported NDTV.
The reports stated that according to the Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), the man had walked through the wooden tent supports on the temple premises. He then climbed the temple gopuram (tower) and attempted to pull the kalashas (sacred finials), when alert temple staff noticed him, the report claims.
Eyewitnesses and vigilance staff raised the alarm as he scaled the approximately 100-foot gopuram, attempting to pull and damage two of the kalashams — the ornate sacred metal finials installed at the top of the temple tower.
The situation triggered a nearly three-hour security operation, during which police, temple vigilance personnel and Fire and Emergency Services teams worked to bring the man down safely from the precarious height.
According to authorities, the man remained atop the gopuram for hours and reportedly demanded a bottle of alcohol before agreeing to descend.
No devotees, temple staff or officials were injured during the incident. Following his descent, the man was detained and taken into custody by Tirupati East Police, where he will be questioned and a case is being registered, reports claimed.
