A “jump test” involving around 300 security guards at Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar temple ahead of Nag Panchami has raised questions about the procedure of testing the bridge’s strength. The 91-foot-long iron overbridge inside the temple complex is used primarily during Nag Panchami, when thousands of devotees visit the centuries-old Nagchandreshwar temple.
Ahead of the festival, the temple committee carried out its annual safety checks, followed by a “jump test”. In the exercise, around 300 security guards were sent onto the bridge and asked to jump together for 10 to 15 minutes. The idea was to simulate the kind of heavy load the structure could face when large crowds gather during the festival
As the guards were first made to walk on the bridge and then jump together rhythmically, officials of Bridge Corporation and public works department (PWD) monitored its response. Male and female guards occupied separate lanes as authorities tested the bridge’s ability to handle heavy movement.
“We made over 300 security guards walk and jump on the bridge as part of the load test. No structural problem was detected,” said a temple official. The testing was carried out on August 7, ahead of Nag Panchami on August 17.
The bridge itself was built around 25 years ago as a response to growing crowds at the Nagchandreshwar temple. Earlier, devotees entered through a route inside the main temple. The foot overbridge was later constructed to make the movement of pilgrims easier. The 91-foot-long and 10-foot-wide bridge links the Vitthal Pandharinath temple area with the rooftop level leading to the Nagchandreshwar shrine.
The shrine, which houses an idol depicting Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati seated on Sheshnag, opens to devotees only once a year for 24 hours on Nag Panchami. While simulating a crowd load, bolts, joints and corrosion were inspected.
This is not the first time the temple committee has conducted the exercise. It has been carried out for several years, with photographs and videos released by the administration as a way of assuring devotees about the bridge’s safety. However, the recent footage shared on social media has now prompted questions about the method.
Social media users pointed out that in an age of engineering laboratories and modern structural testing techniques, relying on people jumping on a bridge was an inhumane way to assess its safety. Some critics called it a “stunt” rather than a scientific test, while others defended it as a traditional, field-tested method.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi shared the footage on social media, drawing further attention to the unusual testing method.
According to the information provided by the temple authorities, security personnel jump on the bridge as part of the inspection process to assess its strength, stability and capacity to withstand the expected crowd. The test is conducted annually before Nag Panchami to ensure the bridge can safely handle the heavy rush of devotees.
Officials found the structure completely safe, while a video showing hundreds of guards jumping together on the bridge has gone viral on social media.
The test comes amid heightened security and crowd management arrangements for Nag Panchami, when the Nagchandreshwar Temple opens for just 24 hours. On August 17, a stampede-like situation broke out near the temple, injuring several devotees after a rumour about electric current in barricades triggered panic.
For Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar Temple, the 300-guard jump test is a reminder that even ancient traditions of safety checks must evolve with modern engineering standards, ensuring that faith in divine protection is matched by confidence in structural integrity.
