NewKerala.com

60-Foot Temple Chariot Topples in Vellore, Injuring Seven at Festival

Seven people were seriously injured when a 60-foot tall temple chariot toppled during the Mayana Kollai festival in Vellore district. The accident occurred around midnight as the chariot was being pulled from the Palar riverbed onto the road, trapping about ten people. District Collector Subbulakshmi and other officials visited the site and the hospital, ordering an inquiry into the incident. This follows a similar chariot accident during the same festival in 2023, despite regulations limiting chariot heights to 12 feet.

Key Points: Vellore Temple Chariot Accident Injures 7 at Mayana Kollai

  • Seven seriously injured in Vellore
  • 60-foot chariot toppled at midnight
  • Similar incident occurred in 2023
  • Chariot height violates 12-foot rule
  • Officials visited spot and hospital
2 min read

Tamil Nadu: Seven injured after 60-foot temple chariot topples in Vellore

Seven seriously injured after a 60-foot festival chariot topples in Vellore's Palar River. Officials order inquiry into the accident.

"Orders have been issued to conduct an inquiry into the accident - District Officials"

Vellore, February 17

Seven people sustained serious injuries after a 60-foot temple chariot toppled during the annual Mayana Kollai festival held on the banks of the Palar River in Vellore district.

The injured have been admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Adukkamparai.

The incident took place around midnight when the chariot from Kazhinjur near Katpadi was being pulled from the riverbed onto the road after the ritual procession.

The chariot reportedly lost balance and tilted sideways, trapping around 10 people. The police and members of the public immediately came to the rescue and helped the trapped individuals, and rushed the seriously injured to the government hospital.

District Collector Subbulakshmi, Superintendent of Police Sivaraman, and Revenue Divisional Officer Senthil Kumar visited the spot and conducted an inspection. The Collector later met the injured persons at the hospital and enquired about their condition. Orders have been issued to conduct an inquiry into the accident, and festival organisers have been instructed to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

The Mayana Kollai festival is one of the prominent annual events in the Vellore district. It was held on the Palar riverbank on Sunday evening. As part of the celebrations, deities from 10 villages were decorated, placed on temple chariots, and taken in procession to the riverbed where devotees performed traditional rituals and offerings.

Following the accident, villagers from Kazhinjur retrieved only the idol from the tilted chariot and took it back to their village.

According to government regulations, temple chariots should not exceed 12 feet in height. However, during the Mayana Kollai festival, chariots from Virudhambattu, Kazhinjur, and Mottur are reportedly around 60 feet tall. Notably, a similar incident occurred in 2023 when a chariot from Mottur village fell into the Palar riverbed during the festival.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
My heart goes out to the affected families. It's good that the Collector and SP visited immediately. But a similar incident happened just last year! Clearly, the inquiry from 2023 didn't lead to any real action. We need accountability, not just inspections after the fact.
R
Rohit P
Tradition is important, but not at the cost of lives. A 60-foot chariot on a riverbed is an accident waiting to happen. The villagers retrieving only the idol shows where the focus is. We must modernize how we conduct these processions with proper engineering checks.
A
Anjali F
Very unfortunate. Kudos to the police and public who rushed to help. That's the real spirit of community. Hope the injured recover soon. The festival organizers must work with the district administration to design safer chariots that still honor the tradition.
D
David E
Reading this from abroad. It's alarming that known safety regulations are being flouted. There seems to be a competitive element here—making taller chariots. The government needs to step in firmly before there's a major tragedy. Wishing strength to the injured.
K
Karthik V
This is a wake-up call. The Palar riverbed terrain is unstable. Pulling such a massive structure there at midnight is risky. The inquiry must result in concrete standard operating procedures for all temple festivals in Tamil Nadu. Jai Hind.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50