300 guards jump in unison to test Mahakaleshwar temple bridge before Nag Panchami
Over 300 security guards performed a load test on a new foot overbridge. Engineers inspected the bridge for structural integrity and signs of corrosion. The 91-foot-long bridge will carry thousands of devotees to the Nagchandreshwar temple. Authorities recommend a maximum of 300 devotees use the bridge simultaneously. The bridge was constructed in 2022 and passed its recent safety inspection.
Ujjain witnessed an unusual sight on August 7 as over 300 security guards simultaneously walked and jumped on a newly constructed foot overbridge, testing its load-bearing capacity before the annual Nag Panchami festival. The 91ft-long bridge, located at the Mahakaleshwar temple complex, connects the Vitthal Pandharinath temple area with the rooftop level leading to the Nagchandreshwar shrine. The shrine opens to devotees for only 24 hours annually during this festival, which drew heavy footfall expectations on Monday.
The engineers, from the Bridge Corporation's Simhastha subdivision, subjected the bridge to a simulated crowd load. As the guards first walked across the bridge and then jumped in unison rhythmically, officials from the Bridge Corporation and public works department monitored its response. They inspected bolts, joints, and signs of corrosion before declaring the structure fit for use by devotees.
SDO Raghunath Suryavanshi of the Bridge Corporation recommended that no more than 300 devotees use the bridge at a time, citing the results of the load test. The bridge, constructed in 2022 with support from a donor through the Ujjain Development Authority, is supported by five pillars and five feet of its width is designated for entry while the remaining is for exit.
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