Several devotees were injured after a stampede-like situation broke out among the devotees at Mahakaleshwar Nath Chandeshwar Mandir in Ujjain on Monday, with those affected alleging poor crowd management and delayed assistance. The incident took place near Harsiddhi Chauraha while devotees were heading for darshan at the Nagchandreshwar Temple, which opens only once a year for 24 hours on Nag Panchami.
One of the injured, Sagar, said he was waiting in the queue for several hours before the incident occurred. “I was in the queue at Mahakal Mandir for the darshan. After seven to eight hours, I reached Harsiddhi Chauraha. We stood there for two hours. The crowd was swelling, and since it was time for the aarti, we were stopped there. Suddenly, the barricades were opened, and a stampede broke out,” he said.
He said the collapse of the barricades left him trapped and injured. “The tent fell, and all the barricades fell too. Both of my legs were caught under the barricade. One of my legs is fractured. The arrangements were really poor at the temple. Nobody helped me. Only one man came and helped me; he carried me to a health camp, from where I was taken away in an ambulance,” Sagar said.
Meenu, Sagar’s mother, said the incident took place near Harsiddhi Chauraha while devotees were heading for darshan at the Nath Chandreshwar Mandir. “This occurred at Harsiddhi Chauraha. He came under a barricade when he was going for darshan at Nath Chandreshwar Mandir. A stampede had broken out there. Nobody helped him. Only one man carried him here,” she said.
Manohar Bhavsar, a resident of Ujjain who came to the hospital to see his friend’s injured child, questioned the claims that no patients had been admitted following the incident. “I am a resident of Ujjain, and in the morning, the child had gone to offer prayers at Mahakal Temple. News is running in the media that there are no patients in the hospital, but I have seen with my own eyes that my friend’s child came in Mahakal’s ambulance itself, has a fractured leg, and is admitted to the hospital,” Bhavsar said.
He further alleged that the administration was denying that anything had happened at the temple. “And news is going around from the administration that nothing happened in Mahakal, but if we had money, we would have taken him to a private hospital. The doctor said it would take two to three days for his operation,” he said.
Another injured devotee’s mother, Aarti, who came from Gwalior for darshan, said her daughter was also hurt in the incident. “What do I say… We came from Gwalior for darshan (prayers), and we are now troubled. She hasn’t even had water; she isn’t able to speak, and her tooth is broken. There was a stampede. She got dizzy, and because of that, she fell onto the railing. They sent us in an ambulance after she became unconscious,” she said.
Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee member Pratham Kaushik refuted the stampede claims, calling it a “rumour”. He asserted that there was no stampede-like situation in the temple. “Some news channels and social media handles are running false news of a stampede-like situation near Mahakal temple premises. There are proper arrangements here, and it is a smooth road for devotees,” Kaushik said.
However, according to videos posted by ANI, the devotees are currently undergoing treatment at the hospital. Doctors are keeping a close watch on their condition. Reports suggest around 13 devotees were rushed to Ujjain District Hospital by their family members and security personnel.
The reason behind this stampede-like situation is said to be created after false information was spread regarding electric current in barricades. The rumour that was spread created panic among the devotees who were present at the temple to take darshan.
On the occasion of Nag Panchami, coinciding with a Monday in the holy month of Shravan, the doors of the Nagchandreshwar Temple atop the Mahakaleshwar Temple were opened. The temple opens only once a year for 24 hours on Nag Panchami. Devotees thronged the temple to seek the blessings of Lord Nagchandreshwar. Around 5.50 lakh devotees have visited the temple so far.
The incident comes amid a series of crowd-related incidents at temples during the Shravan month. On the same day, a deadly stampede broke out at Ashok Dham Temple in Lakhisarai district, Bihar, killing seven people and injuring more than a dozen after a snapped electric wire reportedly triggered panic among worshippers.
For Ujjain’s Nagchandreshwar Temple, the stampede-like situation is a sobering reminder that even the most sacred occasions require not just faith but also foolproof crowd management, clear communication and swift medical response to prevent panic from turning into tragedy.
