In a tragic incident at the Mantralayam pilgrimage centre in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, the bodies of three young devotees from Karnataka were recovered from the Tungabhadra river on Sunday. The victims&mdash;Sachin (20), Pramood (20), and Ajith (19)&mdash;had drowned on Saturday while bathing in the river.
The trio, all degree students from Javagallu village in Hassan district, were part of a seven-member group that had arrived in Mantralayam on Friday to seek blessings at the Sri Raghavendra Swamy Temple.
According to police reports, the youths had checked out of their hotel on Saturday evening and were scheduled to board a train back to Karnataka at 11 p.m. Before leaving, they returned to the riverbank to bathe and take photos. Tragically, Sachin slipped and began drowning. Pramood and Ajith rushed in to help, but all three were pulled under by strong undercurrents.
Another friend, Ragunath, also got caught in the water while attempting a rescue but was saved by alert locals.
The local police and temple authorities had earlier issued warnings due to increased water flow from the Tungabhadra dam. However, the group entered the river despite the advisory. The search for the bodies was hindered by heavy rainfall and resumed on Sunday morning with the help of expert divers.
The incident has sparked fresh concerns about visitor safety at pilgrimage sites, especially during the monsoon season.
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]

Three Devotees Drown in Tungabhadra River at Mantralayam

Bodies of three Karnataka students pulled from the Tungabhadra River after drowning near the Mantralayam temple

Three Devotees Drown in Tungabhadra River at Mantralayam

Bodies of three Karnataka students pulled from the Tungabhadra River after drowning near the Mantralayam temple

July 13, 2025 | 15:54 IST