In a major tragedy, sevenwomen and a 12-year-old girl were crushed to death in a stampede during a religious ceremony outside a temple in Dhoraji town of Rajkot district on Sunday evening. Two women were critically injured while 35 women sustained minor to major injuries.
Rajkot district collectorate officials said the incident took place during a historical religious ceremony of Pushtimargiya Vaishnav community — Chhappan Bhog Mahotsav of Dhingmal Prabhuji at Moti Haveli in the town. Sunday's function was the culmination of a week-long festival which began on December 13.
Nearly a lakh people had gathered at the ‘jhanki darshan' of Thakoreji—intermittent darshan of the deity. Sources said the site where the ceremony was held could actually accommodate only 50,000 people. Earlier in the day, the idol was brought to the haveli in a mega procession.
“The disaster occurred during the ‘jhanki darshan'. As the gates of the haveli were opened for darshan, the women rushed forward. Someone must have slipped causing all of them to topple over each other, crushing them to death,” said Rajkot district collector HS Patel. “The stampede caused a major panic situation,” he added.
“The situation was aggravated due to the jhanki style of darshan, where people become eager for darshan before the gates are closed,” Patel explained, “Such chaos does not occur in regular temple darshan.”
The deceased were identified as Jyotsna Shapariya, 40, of Rajkot, Varsha Ahalpara,45, of Junagadh and Vijaya Vakeria, 50, Jaya Viradia, 55, Savita Mavani, 58, Disha Thummar, 33, Nidhi Wagadiya, 12, and Hansa Monapara, 45 of Dhoraji.
