Tragedy at Jodhpur temple
Devotees slipping on water from smashed coconuts offered to a deity may be one of the causes of Rajasthan’s worst-ever stampede, in which at least 150 people died on Tuesday morning.
As the devotees slipped, believed to have been pushed by a group of reckless young men, it had a cascading effect on the thousands behind, who had gathered at the 500-year-old Chamunda Devi Temple in the Mehrangarh Fort of Jodhpur since 2 am to offer Navratra prayers.
A senior government official, who did not want to be named, said the devotees in the men’s queue fell on one another, leading to a stampede on the ramp that leads to the hilltop shrine.
Chief Secretary D.C. Samant said: “Rumours about a wall collapse or bomb scare are baseless.”
About 20,000 worshippers had gathered at the temple, about 330 km from Jaipur.
To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://epaper.hindustantimes.com
As the devotees slipped, believed to have been pushed by a group of reckless young men, it had a cascading effect on the thousands behind, who had gathered at the 500-year-old Chamunda Devi Temple in the Mehrangarh Fort of Jodhpur since 2 am to offer Navratra prayers.
A senior government official, who did not want to be named, said the devotees in the men’s queue fell on one another, leading to a stampede on the ramp that leads to the hilltop shrine.
Chief Secretary D.C. Samant said: “Rumours about a wall collapse or bomb scare are baseless.”
About 20,000 worshippers had gathered at the temple, about 330 km from Jaipur.
To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://epaper.hindustantimes.com
Labels: Chamunda Devi Temple, Devotees, Devotees slipping, hilltop shrine, injured, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Mehrangarh Fort, Navratra prayers, Rajasthan, smashed coconuts, stampede, water, worshippers
posted by PressMart Team at
9:54 AM
0 Comments
