Stampede at Gwalior Navagraha temple, Despite tight security:Crowd surged uncontrollably during distribution of 25,000 Kalash

On the first day of the installation ceremony at Asia’s largest Navagraha temple in Dabra, Gwalior district, a deadly crowd surge left at least one person dead and several others injured. An elderly woman lost her life, while seven women were hurt during the Kalash (sacred pot) procession. The victims were part of the ceremonial Kalash distribution. Former state Home Minister Narottam Mishra, the chief patron of the temple installation ceremony, was present during the event. Police had deployed 1,500 personnel for security, anticipating over 15 lakh visitors during the ten-day celebration. Despite these extensive arrangements, chaos broke out, leading to the tragic incident. High-level administrative meeting held post-tragedy Immediately after the incident, Collector Ruchika Chauhan convened a high-level meeting with SP Dharmveer Singh Yadav and IG Arvind Saxena. However, officials and police have not disclosed details of the discussion. Preliminary reports suggest the accident was partly caused by women who were not registered for the Kalash procession but joined in anyway. Overcrowding due to unregistered participants The organising committee had registered 20,000 women for the event and issued yellow sarees as part of the preparation. However, women without registration, yet wearing the yellow saree, also arrived to take part in the Kalash procession. This led to overcrowding and a stampede-like situation. Family recounts the incident The deceased, Rati Devi Sahu, was given her last rites in the afternoon. Her daughter-in-law, Reena Sahu, described the incident: “Amma had been preparing for this ten-day installation ceremony for days. She believed attending the event was a rare blessing of God. She even trained women of her age to participate and follow the rituals. But her wish remained unfulfilled, and she left us.” Reena explained that they had arrived at the stadium around 9 a.m., two hours before the scheduled Kalash distribution. Thousands of women were already present, and there was no line or crowd management. “When we reached the Kalash distribution point, the crowd had already become uncontrollable. Amma lost her balance and fainted. Soon, women started falling over each other, and children were screaming. People carried the injured on their laps to help them,” she said. She also added that police presence at the actual site of distribution was insufficient, contributing to the chaos. “The injured were taken to the hospital, but there was no oxygen support. Amma suffered for half an hour before passing away,” Reena stated. Six months of preparations for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony Preparations for the installation ceremony began six months prior. Organizers had planned for 20,000 women to participate and procured 25,000 Kalash pots. Registrations and yellow saree distributions took place across 30 city wards from February 5 onward. The Kalash distribution was scheduled to start at 11 a.m., but the crowd had gathered two hours earlier, leading to disorder once distribution began. Could the accident have been prevented? IG Arvind Saxena stated that security arrangements were robust, and the accident occurred due to the women’s eagerness to collect the Kalash. However, an investigation by Dainik Bhaskar revealed a lack of proper crowd management at the stadium. The organizing committee had been aware that more than 20,000 women would participate. Saxena acknowledged the issue but did not explain why police were absent at the critical point of distribution. Experts suggest that distributing the Kalash with sarees already provided at home could have prevented the crowd surge. Event overview and patrons The ten-day Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Navagraha Shaktipeeth in Dabra began on Tuesday and will continue until February 20. Former Minister Narottam Mishra is the chief patron. The program includes three-day religious and cultural events by Pandit Pradeep Mishra, Pandit Dhirendra Shastri, and poet Kumar Vishwas, along with night-long special rituals by Dati Maharaj. About the temple The Navagraha temple in Dabra is Asia’s largest and uniquely houses the Navagraha along with their consorts. Constructed on 12 acres, it follows principles of Sanatan Dharma, Vastu Shastra, and Jyotish Shastra. The temple stands on 108 pillars, a number of spiritual significance in Hinduism, representing 27 constellations with four directions each. The placement of the deities and the temple layout ensures that no celestial body faces another directly. Special water ponds, drains, and openings were designed to control the energy of the Sun deity.