'Tent fell, barricades collapsed': Stampede-like situation at Ujjain temple leaves devotees injured

NEW DELHI: A stampede-like situation erupted near the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh on Monday, leaving several devotees injured. The incident occurred at Harsiddhi Chauraha after a rumor about electric current in barricades sparked panic among the large crowd heading towards the Shri Nagchandreshwar Temple. Some barricades reportedly collapsed under the surge of people, causing injuries.

The injured were transported to Charak Hospital for treatment. Ujjain Collector and Superintendent of Police arrived at the scene to take control of the situation. However, the temple administration denied any chaos or stampede inside the Mahakaleshwar Temple, stating that devotees were continuing to receive darshan without disruption.

Mahakal Temple administrator Pratham Kaushik told ANI that darshan at the Nagchandreshwar Temple was proceeding smoothly despite the large crowd. He emphasized that more than 6 lakh devotees received darshan of Bhagwan Nag Chandreshwar and over 2 lakh devotees had darshan of Lord Shri Mahakaleshwar by noon. The temple administration claimed that the increased turnout was due to Nag Panchami coinciding with Monday during the holy month of Shravan.

One of the injured, Sagar, reported that he was caught under a barricade while heading towards the temple and suffered a fractured leg. He expressed disappointment with the poor arrangements at the temple, noting that only one man came to assist him. The incident also affected nearby temples, including Bada Ganesh Temple, Neelkanth Square, and Kark Raj Parking area. Authorities arrived at the affected areas to restore order as devotees continued to arrive at the temple complex.