Temple Fire Ritual in Nalgonda Turns Tragic: 7 Devotees Burned in Overcrowding Incident
A heavy crowd at the Sri Parvathi Ramalingeswara Swamy Temple in Amanagallu village of Vemulapalli mandal, Nalgonda district, led to seven devotees sustaining burn injuries while performing the Agnigundala ritual early on Wednesday morning. This annual fire-walking ceremony, traditionally held on Holi, took a dangerous turn due to unprecedented overcrowding.
Unprecedented Crowd Size Due to Lunar Eclipse
While around 1,500 people usually attend the annual ritual, this year the number was reportedly double, as the ceremony took place immediately after the lunar eclipse, or chandra grahanam. The confluence of these events attracted a significantly larger number of devotees, creating a hazardous situation near the firewalking area.
"Normally, around 1,500 people attend the ritual, which is always organised on Holi. But this year, because of chandra grahanam, more devotees visited the temple, resulting in the overcrowding that led to this incident," said K Mrityunjay Sastry, Endowment Officer of the temple, which has a history of approximately 1,300 years.
Severity of Injuries and Medical Response
Of the seven injured, two women suffered over 35% burn injuries and were shifted to Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment. The other five victims sustained burns of less than 15% on their hands and legs.
"A total of seven were admitted to the hospital this afternoon. Five of them have burns of less than 15% on their hands and legs and will be treated here for the next three to four days. We referred the other two to Gandhi Hospital as they require advanced treatment, which cannot be provided here due to the absence of a dedicated burns ward," said Dr Upendra Singh, RMO of the Govt General Hospital in Suryapet.
Dr Singh added that the two women transferred to Gandhi Hospital appeared to have sustained more severe injuries in a stampede-like situation near the firewalking area of the temple.
How the Incident Unfolded
The incident occurred when a woman slipped while devotees were carrying the rath (chariot) across burning coals, causing several others to fall into the fire. This chain reaction in the overcrowded space led to multiple injuries.
"The incident occurred when a woman slipped while devotees were carrying the rath across burning coals, causing several others to fall into the fire," confirmed K Mrityunjay Sastry, who noted that such an incident had never occurred at this historic temple before.
Victims and Local Response
All the injured are from Bheemaram village and are currently being treated in Suryapet, according to P Sandeep, sarpanch of Amanagallu village. The local administration and temple authorities are reviewing safety measures for future rituals to prevent similar incidents.
The tragedy highlights the challenges of managing large religious gatherings, particularly when special astronomical events like lunar eclipses attract additional participants. Temple officials emphasized that proper crowd control measures will be implemented for future ceremonies to ensure devotees' safety during these traditional fire rituals.
