Around 13 devotees were injured after a false rumour about electric current triggered panic and a crowd crush near Harsiddhi Chauraha.
The incident occurred amid a heavy rush for darshan at the Nagchandreshwar Temple, which opens only once a year on Nag Panchami.
Security personnel and officials brought the situation under control, while the injured were taken to Charak Hospital for treatment.
A stampede-like situation broke out at Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar Temple on Monday after a false rumour about electric current in barricades triggered panic among devotees gathered for darshan on Nag Panchami.
Around 13 devotees were injured in the incident near Harsiddhi Temple Square, where a large crowd had gathered on the third Monday of Shravan, which coincided with Nag Panchami this year. The injured were taken to Charak Hospital for treatment, as News18 reported.
The chaos unfolded after a rumour spread that electric current had entered barricades near a distribution point in the area. As devotees rushed to move away, crowd pressure increased and some barricades broke, causing several people to fall and sustain injuries. Some devotees were also reportedly taken ill or fainted amid the rush.
Security personnel and people accompanying devotees helped pull those caught in the crowded area to safety. The Collector and Superintendent of Police reached the spot and took charge of the situation, following which the situation was brought under control.
‘Nobody Helped Him’
A devotee, identified as Meenu, whose son was admitted to hospital after the incident, said he was going to the Nagchandreshwar Temple for darshan when the stampede broke out.
"This occurred at Harsiddhi Chauraha. He came under a barricade when he was going for a darshan at Nath Chandreshwar Mandir. A stampede had broken out there. Nobody helped him. Only one man carried him here," she told ANI.
Chaos was also reported near Bada Ganesh Temple, Neelkanth Square and along the route from Kark Raj Parking to the Harsiddhi entrance
Rush For Nagchandreshwar Temple
The incident came as lakhs of devotees gathered in Ujjain for Nag Panchami and the third Monday of Shravan.
The Nagchandreshwar Temple, located atop the Mahakaleshwar Temple, opens to devotees only once a year for 24 hours on Nag Panchami. Around 5.5 lakh devotees had already taken darshan amid the heavy rush, according to the information available.
The crowd was particularly large this year as Nag Panchami, Shravan Somwar and Mahakal’s procession coincided on the same day.
