Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh – In a heart-wrenching incident that unfolded in the early hours of Monday during the holy month of Shravan, what began as a spiritually charged gathering of devotees offering prayers to Lord Shiva quickly turned into a scene of panic and tragedy.
A sudden stampede at the Ausaneshwar Mahadev Temple in Barabanki district claimed the lives of two devotees and left more than 40 people injured, casting a shadow over the sacred rituals of the third Shravan Monday.
The unfortunate incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. in Haidergarh, approximately 90 kilometers from Lucknow, as thousands of Shiva bhakts (devotees) assembled to perform the revered Jalabhishek ritual — a significant offering of holy water to the Shivling, which holds deep spiritual significance during this auspicious month.
The temple, known for drawing massive crowds during Shravan, was bustling with religious fervor, with the air echoing with chants, hymns, and conches. However, within moments, the serene spiritual atmosphere turned into chaos when a high-tension electric wire reportedly came crashing down onto a tin shed located inside the temple premises.
According to eyewitness accounts and officials, the root cause of the mishap was traced to a troop of monkeys that had climbed an overhead power line. Their activity caused the wire to snap. The loose, live wire then fell directly onto a section of the tin-roofed structure within the temple complex, causing a power surge and sudden electric shock that spread across the premises.
The shock created panic among the assembled devotees. Screams for help pierced the night as people began to collapse, some due to electric shock, others in the resulting stampede as worshippers rushed to flee the danger. The sudden surge of people running in different directions caused many to get trampled or injured in the melee.
“I was near the breaker when a loud crack rang out. The next moment, I saw people collapsing, and I felt a jolt. Everyone began pushing and screaming,” recalled Vinay Maurya, a devotee currently being treated at the Haidergarh Community Health Centre.
Barabanki District Magistrate Shashank Tripathi provided details during a briefing, stating, “A troop of monkeys disturbed an overhead high-tension wire, which then snapped and fell onto the tin shed. This caused an electric current to run through the structure, sparking widespread panic. As people scrambled to escape, a stampede broke out.”
In the aftermath, authorities confirmed the deaths of two individuals — identified as Ramesh Kumar (35) and Prashant Kumar (16). Both succumbed to injuries sustained either through electrocution or the stampede. Over 40 others, including women and elderly devotees, sustained various degrees of injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Local administration, along with medical teams and law enforcement, responded swiftly. The site was secured, injured devotees were provided emergency care, and an investigation into the incident has been initiated.
The tragic event has cast a pall over the auspicious Shravan celebrations, and temple authorities, along with district officials, are expected to review safety protocols to prevent such incidents in the future, particularly during large religious gatherings.
The incident also reignites the conversation around infrastructure safety in public religious spaces, especially during festivals and large-scale events that see massive footfalls.
Concerns have been raised about the proximity of high-voltage electric lines to crowded temple areas, the lack of adequate safety measures, and the increasing menace of monkey-related disturbances in temple towns.
While the Barabanki district administration has promised swift action, families of the deceased are left grappling with their loss during a time that is otherwise considered spiritually uplifting.
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