Fire erupts at a Madhya Pradesh Temple, Several Injured
Those wounded in the fire at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh state are supposed to be out of danger.
March 25, 2024: Holi may be the festival of colours with vibrant powders and water being showered around. But an unwelcome fire took centre stage at Mahakaleshwar Temple in Madhya Pradesh’s town of Ujjain early on the morning of the festival. The perilous blaze occurred at the sanctum sanctorum of this place of worship while rituals to mark the festive occasion were underway.
At the sacred interior or garbhagriha, pujaris and devotees were in the midst of conducting the sacred Bhasma Aarti or “offering with ashes” when the ignition got out of control. As per tradition, the ritual was unfolding between 3:30 am and 5:30 am, when the mishap took place. Eight priests and five temple staff and visitors present were injured in the sudden eruption.
Fire and medical personal arrived on the scene in time to douse the flames and transfer the wounded to hospitals in Ujjain and the nearby city of Indore. While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi passed on his condolences, M.P. state cabinet ministers Tulsi Ram Silawat and Kailash Vijayvargiya along with other authorities visited the injured and took stock of the situation. The wounded are reportedly in stable condition and are undergoing treatment. Meanwhile, Agni - the Hindu god of fire - has some explaining to do here.
