An accident in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, during a religious ceremony, has left at least 50 people injured. A wooden structure collapsed during a ladoo ceremony at a Jain community event—Lord Adinath’s nirvana parv; Adinath is a Jain Teerthankar- the first of humanly known time cycle.
Police said there are no fatalities, though over a dozen people are believed to be seriously injured. The injured were immediately rushed to hospitals in autorickshaws, hand-pulled rickshaws and cars. The injured include children.
The Adinath temple, on the Aligarh Agra highway, is constructed on an artificial hill running across the complex. The hill starts from the height of 4′ and rises to 31′. On its peak, a white marble platform measuring 16′ x 16′ x 2.5′ supports a 10′ high pink marble lotus throne. Seated on it is an 111′′ high white marble statue of the Teerthankar with a halo and three umbrellas.
The ladoo ceremony was to be performed at the Shri Digambar Jain Degree college in Badauth. The stairs of the 65-foot high wooden watch tower constructed for the ceremony collapsed. An idol of Lord Adinath had been installed at the top of the tower.
Ladoos made of sugar, boondi, coconut and sesame seeds are offered as part of the ceremony.
The tower collapse was followed by a stampede in which at least seven police personnel deployed for the ceremony were also injured.
The official X account of the Uttar Pradesh CM office posted that Yogi Adityanath had given instructions to district officials for relief and rescue work to be expedited.
