Key Points

From Jagannath Yatra in Odisha to the Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh, and stampedes in Delhi and Goa, many have lost their lives and thousands have been injured, indicating a series of security and crowd management lapses at such crucial religious gatherings.

The latest tragedy occurred on Sunday during the Jagannath Yatra in Puri, Odisha. As thousands of devotees gathered near the Gundicha Temple to witness the mesmerising chariot procession, a sudden surge in crowds led to a stampede. According to the reports, three people have lost their lives, and more than three dozen have been injured. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi called it an "unforgivable lapse" and has suspended the Puri DCP Bishnu Charan Pati and Police Commandant Ajay Padhi. Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, while extending condolences to the families of the devotees who died, lashed out at the government and called this stampede “a failure of crowd management” that “exposes the government's glaring incompetence in ensuring a peaceful festival of devotees.”

Earlier this year, on January 29, the sacred Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj turned deadly during the Mauni Amavasya holy dip. A crowd crush occurred as thousands tried to cross barricades to access the Sangam, leading to at least 30 confirmed deaths and over 60 injuries. But several independent reports claim that the death toll could be five to six times higher than the government’s toll.

On February 15, a separate stampede struck the New Delhi Railway Station. Overcrowding on a narrow footbridge between platforms 14 and 15, combined with sudden train platform changes, resulted in 18 fatalities, including women and children. This accident occurred in the backdrop of Maha Kumbh, and it was reported that many of these passengers were travelling to Uttar Pradesh to take a dip in the holy waters of the Ganga. Nearly two dozen were seriously injured. Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that around 49,000 general tickets had been sold that day (overwhelming the infrastructure), which were 13,000 more than the daily average number of tickets sold during the previous six months.

Another deadly stampede occurred on May 3 during the Lairai Jatra festival in Shirgao village, North Goa. The narrow lanes around the Lairai Devi Temple became congested, causing panic and a stampede that killed six people and injured up to 100.

These four incidents have reignited public debate over India's ability to manage massive religious events safely.

- IANS