HYDERABAD: A stampede like situation prevailed here on Friday during the distribution of the laddu prasadam of the famous Khairatabad Ganesha after thousands of devotees scrambled for it. The police had to intervene to get things under control as the devotees, who turned in few thousands, and used mild force to disperse the crowd.
The organisers and volunteers had a tough time in distributing the laddus as the large crowd that had gathered to collect the prasadam from morning was uncontrollable. In the melee, a few devotees were injured during a baton-charge, after which the organisers decided to give away the laddu to its makers.
The laddu weighing a whopping 5,600 to 6,000 kg was specially made at Tapeswaram in East Godavari of Andhra Pradesh and brought to Khairatabad in city for the massive 59-feet idol installed every year during Ganesh festival.
The crowds multiplied in large numbers and started surging towards the dais leading to breaking of the cordon. As the situation was out of control, police brought additional forces to control the situation. As the barricades couldn’t be restored immediately, the distribution of Laddu was stopped midway.
The organisers decided to sent back the remaining laddus to Tapeswaram. While it was being sent back, where it was made, a few miscreants stopped the truck transporting the prasadams on the city outskirts. It was reported that some miscreants have waylaid the lorry at Hayathnagar and took away the laddu and sold it for a price to the devotees.
The organisers also dispatched a portion of the laddu to be distributed in the important temples in the twin cities. The left over laddu was sent to Tapeswaram.