India is a land of different cultures and religions. Millions of devotees gather at sacred places every year to attend festivals and for worship. But at times, this spirituality gets out of hand and turns into a chaos, resulting in stampedes and other deaths. Here are a few tragic stampedes that turned devotion into disaster.
Tirupati stampede
Tirupati temple stampede occurred on January 8 this year due to overcrowding, when people rushed to collect tokens from the ticket counter for Vaikundam Ekadashi. As many as six persons died and 20 persons suffered injuries in the incident. Eyewitnesses said the abrupt opening of the gates for token distribution caused an uncontrollable rush towards the gates, and people walked over those who fell. Andhra Pradesh government announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh for the families of the deceased.
Patna temple stampede
On August 12, 2024 a tragic stampede happened at the Baba Sidh Nath temple in Jehanabad district of Bihar. The incident occurred as devotees gathered in large numbers to worship Lord Shiva. The stampede happened around 1am, when devotees were climbing Barabar hills for puja at a temple in Makhdumpur. Eyewitnesses say people panicked as the crowd became uncontrollable and people fell on top of each other after a few tried to rush through the crowd. Seven devotees died and several were injured.
Prayagraj kumbh mela stampede
On February 10, 2013 a tragic stampede happened at Allahabad railway station during the kumbh mela festival in Uttar Pradesh. Kumbh mela is a major Hindu festival and is considered one of the largest human gatherings. The stampede occurred at the Allahabad railway station as pilgrims returned home after the rituals. The collapse of the railing on a footbridge at the railway station and the railway police charging at the crowd caused panic among the pilgrims. About 42 people died and more than 45 people suffered injuries in the tragic incident.
Sabarimala Stampede
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Lakhs of devotees gather at Sabarimala on January 14 every year to celebrate the auspicious day of Makara Jyothi, a celestial light believed to be a manifestation of the divinity. The stampede occurred seven kilometres away from the shrine, near the grassland area of Pullumedu. The stampede occurred in 2011, around 8pm at Pullumedu on the day. A jeep lost control and crashed into the crowd, which led the crowd to panic which led to a stampede. As many as 102 pilgrims died and 50 persons suffered injuries in the incident. The majority of victims hailed from southern states.
