Racing Bulls Trigger Panic At Jejuri Fort, Devotees Injured In Stampede-Like Chaos
Racing Bulls Trigger Panic At Jejuri Fort, Devotees Injured In Stampede-Like Chaos
The incident occurred despite an existing ban on bringing bulls and horses for racing to the sacred Khandoba fort, raising fresh concerns over crowd safety during darshan.
A tense situation unfolded at Shri Kshetra Jejuri on Sunday morning when two racing bulls brought by devotees for darshan suddenly broke loose on the steps leading to Khandoba fort, leaving at least three devotees injured and sparking panic among the crowd.
The incident reportedly took place around 11 am, a peak hour when large numbers of devotees were climbing the fort for worship. According to reports, devotees from Ambeagaon had brought two bulls of different breeds. Instead of keeping them at the base area, the animals were taken up the steep steps. Midway through the climb, the bulls suddenly became uncontrollable and began rushing down the stairs at high speed.
The unexpected stampede-like movement created chaos on the narrow pathway. Several devotees trying to climb the steps slipped and fell while attempting to escape the charging animals. Three devotees sustained injuries, including individuals identified as Shiva Bhaskar Mohe from Buldhana, Vishal Ramdas Kawalkar from Khamgaon, and Jyoti Mahesh Pawar from Jalgaon. The injured were taken for treatment at Jejuri Rural Hospital.
Fortunately, officials noted that there were no small children present on the steps at the time, which helped avert a major disaster. Temple staff and local citizens quickly intervened and managed to bring the situation under control. The entire episode was captured on CCTV cameras installed at the fort, showing devotees fleeing in fear as the bulls ran loose.
The incident has drawn attention because the Shri Martand Devasthan Trust had already imposed a ban two years ago on bringing bulls and horses for racing to the fort. Warning signs have reportedly been placed on access roads, and shopkeepers in the area had also cautioned devotees not to bring such animals. Despite this, the restrictions were ignored.
Authorities have once again appealed to devotees to follow safety rules strictly, especially during crowded darshan hours, to prevent such dangerous incidents in the future.
