At least seven devotees were killed and 12 injured in a stampede at the Indramaneshwar Temple in Ashokdham, Bihar’s Lakhisarai district, on Monday morning as a large crowd gathered to offer prayers on the third Somvari of the Shravan month.
The incident occurred around 6.40 am as devotees tried to enter the temple. Officials said the crowd became difficult to control after some youngsters allegedly attempted to push through the queue, breaking barricades put up by police to regulate the movement of devotees.
How the stampede unfolded
Lakhisarai district magistrate Shailendra Kumar said women standing in the queue fell on one another after the barricades gave way. “Women in the queue fell on each other,” he said while rushing to Lakhisarai Sadar Hospital.
Kumar said security personnel were deployed to manage the heavy rush and the situation had later been brought under control. He added that some people taken to hospital had fallen sick because of extreme humidity and suffocation caused by the overcrowding, and said their condition was out of danger.
Long queues and panic among devotees
The temple had reportedly been receiving devotees since Sunday night, with the queue stretching for more than six kilometres. A police officer said it took pilgrims around four hours on average to enter the temple.
Witnesses, however, blamed inadequate crowd management for the chaos. Around 50,000 people were estimated to have gathered at the shrine. Eyewitnesses said rumours that an electric current had spread to a pole triggered panic, prompting devotees to run.
A police officer said the crowd had become restless and many people began jostling before the situation was brought under control.
Another temple stampede in Bihar
The Lakhisarai incident comes months after a stampede at Sheetla Mata Temple in Bihar’s Nalanda in March left eight people dead and 12 injured.
It also comes days after a crowd surge during Odisha’s annual Jagannath Rath Yatra left one devotee dead and more than 100 people ill. Other recent major stampedes include the 2025 Prayag Kumbh Mela, the Tirupati temple incident and the 2024 Hathras tragedy.
About Ashokdham Temple
Ashokdham, also known as Indradamneshwar Mahadev Temple, is a prominent Shiva shrine in Lakhisarai. The temple complex also has shrines dedicated to Goddess Parvati, Nandi and Goddess Durga. It draws large crowds during Sawan and Shivratri.