13 injured in crowd surge at Mahakaleshwar Temple during Nag Panchami in Ujjain
A crowd surge outside Mahakaleshwar Temple Complex in Ujjain on Monday injured 13 devotees during Nag Panchami celebrations. The incident occurred around 8:30 am when rumours spread about an electric current in the area, causing panic among people standing in long queues for darshan at the Nagchandreshwar Temple. Devotees fell on each other as crowd pressure mounted, with some remaining trapped in barricades for several hours.
Three of the injured were hospitalised while others received primary treatment and were discharged. Crowd pressure intensified near Harsiddhi Chauraha and Bada Ganesh Temple, leaving some devotees unconscious. Police and administrative officials reached the spot and restored order. Some injured persons alleged negligence in crowd management, though Collector Raushan Kumar Singh denied any stampede occurred. By 6 pm, over 8.4 lakh devotees had visited the temple, which opens only on Nag Panchami.
