BHOPAL: A 50-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh allegedly died when a tent collapsed amid heavy rains and blustery winds at the famous Lord Hanuman shrine, Bageshwar Dham, in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh early on Thursday morning.
The incident, which also left seven devotees injured, most of them from outside Madhya Pradesh, including Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, occurred during preparations for the Friday birthday celebrations of the shrine’s Peethadhishwar and Hindu Rashtra-supporter, religious preacher Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, also known as ‘Bageshwar Dham Sarkar’.
“The mishap happened on Thursday morning amid continuous heavy rains coupled with blustery winds, leading to the collapse of the tent. One devotee died in the mishap, possibly after suffering a head injury due to the caving in of one of the iron pillars which supported the tent. Some other devotees, mostly from outside MP, suffered injuries, but all are out of danger. An autopsy of the deceased man, who hails from UP, is being conducted,” Jain said.
The deceased man has been identified as Shyamlal Kaushal (50), a native of Chauri village in Basti district. He was part of a six-member family that had arrived from eastern Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday night to take part in the birthday celebrations of the temple’s Peethadhishwar, Dhirendra Krishna Shastri.
While five of the injured devotees were given preliminary treatment at the hospital and discharged, at least two others, including Neha Khatik from Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district and Ramdayal Yadav from UP’s Kushinagar district, are undergoing treatment at Chhatarpur district hospital.
According to eyewitnesses, including Aryan Kamlapuri (a neighbour of the bereaved family), the tent allegedly collapsed due to heavy rains and strong winds, which inundated the area with water. The ensuing chaos also led to the injuries.
Notably, Bageshwar Dham, which houses the famous temple of Lord Hanuman, is located in Garha village of Chhatarpur district. Over the years, a large part of the village has turned into a major pilgrimage centre.