The morning ceremony of ‘bhasma aarti,’ during which a terrible fire broke out at Ujjain’s revered temple of Mahakal, caused severe damage to the temple and wounded 13 priests who were reciting it very devoutly. Such tragedy not only befoul the spiritual community but also shook even the city with great dismay and sadness.
‘Gulal’ flew everywhere as brand ambassadors excitedly unrolled their Holi celebration. Witnesses vividly recreated the scene. Unfortunately, the colorful powder was responsible for this tragedy. It accidentally lit the creeping fire, burning an earthen lamp, thus augmenting the fire activity.
The firefighting team battled against the flames, emulating the intensity of a fire that spread in every direction, leaving behind plumes of thick smoke that immediately evacuated the temple followers and workers. Our men containing the fire, some who have been burned very badly, were evacuated immediately to a district hospital for medical aid. The status of nine patients is critical, nullifying the need to transfer them to another hospital in Indore with better resources. Hence, it is predictable.
The Collector of Ujjain (Mr. Neeraj Kumar Singh) rushed into action without delay, comprising a magisterial inquiry to ascertain the circumstances and reasons for this accident. Those are in progress to carry out the investigation, which entails collecting evidence, interviewing the eyewitnesses, and analyzing the scene to reveal the sequence of events.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his true feelings of anguish over the occurrence of the horrible incident, by calling it “extremely painful”.
He wished speedy recovery for all the priests who got hurt and assured the support of the state government till the whole process to assist the victims was over.
The information concerning the church fire spread quickly; consequently, many people in the country expressed concern and sympathy. In contrast, many others sent their prayers and donations to the defiled temple and helped the suffering public.
