A heavy influx of devotees at the ISKCON temple in Patna on Monday evening led to a chaotic scene, but authorities quickly brought the situation under control, a police officer said.
Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Rajeev Mishra stated that while a few devotees may have sustained minor injuries, there was no full-blown stampede.
“A huge number of devotees thronged the ISKCON temple on the occasion of Janmashtami festival in the evening. An adequate number of security personnel had already been deployed there. We engaged more personnel when the situation turned chaotic as the devotees tried to outpace one another. It was a tough time for the security personnel. The situation was, however, immediately brought under control. It was not a full-blown stampede,” Mishra said.
Viral video clips on social media showed security personnel struggling to control the surge of devotees. Some individuals were seen falling, but were assisted by security staff.
“The situation is completely under control. Our top priority is to manage the rush of devotees first,” Mishra said, adding that women security personnel were also deployed in large numbers.
The Patna District administration confirmed the incident, stating,“There was no stampede at the ISKCON temple. Mild force was used to check those devotees who tried to enter temple premises by breaking police barricades. The situation is completely under control”.
Earlier this month, a stampede at Baba Siddheshwar Nath Temple in Bihar’s Jehanabad district resulted in the deaths of at least seven people and injuries to 16 others.