At least seven devotees were killed and 12 others injured after a stampede broke out at the Indramaneshwar Temple in Ashokdham, Bihar’s Lakhisarai district, on Monday morning. The incident occurred during the third Sombari of the holy Shravan month, when thousands of devotees had gathered at the prominent Shiva shrine.
Most of those who died were women, officials said. The stampede reportedly occurred as a large crowd attempted to enter the temple, with barricades installed for crowd management giving way amid the heavy rush.
Stay Connected · Headline8
Get breaking news instantly — follow our official channels
How the Stampede Unfolded
According to Lakhisarai District Magistrate Shailendra Kumar, the incident took place at around 6:40 am when a group of youngsters allegedly attempted to move ahead in the queue. Their actions reportedly resulted in barricades being broken, causing people waiting behind them to lose balance.
Several women fell over one another as panic spread through the crowd.
Authorities said security personnel were already deployed to manage the large gathering. The district magistrate also said some people who were taken to hospital had fallen ill because of suffocation and extreme humidity caused by overcrowding. Their condition was reported to be stable.
Thousands Gathered at Ashokdham
The temple reportedly witnessed a massive turnout, with estimates suggesting that around 50,000 devotees had assembled at the site.
Eyewitnesses claimed that rumours about an electric current in a nearby pole added to the panic, prompting devotees to run in different directions. Locals and other pilgrims attempted to rescue people trapped in the crowd.
A police official said the situation became tense as devotees grew restless and began pushing and jostling. Another officer said pilgrims had been arriving at the temple continuously since Sunday night.
The queue reportedly extended for more than six kilometres, with devotees taking an average of around four hours to enter the temple.
Bihar CM Announces Ex-Gratia
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary expressed deep grief over the deaths and described the incident as extremely tragic.
The chief minister announced ₹4 lakh ex-gratia compensation for the families of each person who died in the stampede. He also directed officials to ensure immediate and proper medical treatment for those injured.
The administration has been instructed to provide all necessary assistance to the affected families and ensure medical care for the injured devotees.
Another Temple Stampede Raises Crowd Management Concerns
The Lakhisarai incident is the latest in a series of deadly stampedes at religious gatherings in India, once again raising concerns over crowd control and safety arrangements at major pilgrimage sites.
Days earlier, a devotee died and more than 100 people reportedly fell ill during a temporary crowd surge at the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Odisha.
In January 2025, at least 30 people were killed during a stampede at the Prayag Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj. Earlier that month, six people died and 35 were injured in a stampede near the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.
In July 2024, around 121 people died in a stampede in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, after a huge gathering of devotees rushed towards a preacher.
Another major tragedy occurred at the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir in January 2022, when 12 devotees died during a crowd surge.
More recently, a stampede at the Sheetla Mata Temple in Bihar’s Nalanda in March claimed eight lives and left 12 people injured. Witnesses in that incident also reported that barricades collapsed amid the heavy crowd.
About Ashokdham Temple
The Ashokdham Temple, also known as the Indradamneshwar Mahadev Temple, is one of Bihar’s prominent Lord Shiva shrines and is located in Lakhisarai district.
The temple complex houses the main Indradamneshwar Mahadev shrine along with temples dedicated to Goddess Parvati, Nandi and Goddess Durga.
The shrine witnesses particularly large crowds during Sawan and Shivratri, when devotees from different parts of the region gather to offer prayers and perform religious rituals.
The latest tragedy has renewed concerns over whether crowd-control systems at major religious gatherings are adequate to safely manage large numbers of pilgrims, particularly during peak festival periods.
(Inputs from Hindustan Times)
Edited by: Moonmoon Borah
