A tragic stampede at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga, Andhra Pradesh, has drawn attention to the man behind its creation — 94-year-old landlord Hari Mukunda Panda. Known as a passionate devotee of Lord Venkateswara, Panda built this temple out of personal devotion and a painful past experience.

Fifteen years ago, Panda had travelled to Tirumala for darshan but fell ill while waiting in a long queue. Security officials asked him to step aside and get medical attention, and though he got another chance the next day, the few seconds of darshan after hours of waiting left him disheartened. That moment, he decided that if people couldn’t reach Tirupati, he would bring Tirupati to them.

Using his own wealth, Panda sold part of his coconut farmland and began constructing a temple

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