120-feet chariot crashes at Bengaluru temple fair, no one hurt

The devotees had a narrow escape after a 120-foot chariot at Huskur Madduramma temple in Bengaluru’s Anekal area collapsed on Saturday

The devotees had a narrow escape after a 120-foot chariot at Huskur Madduramma temple in Bengaluru’s Anekal area collapsed on Saturday, officials familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

A 120-foot tall temple chariot collapses during a religious and cultural event near Anekal in Karnataka on Saturday. (PTI)

According to officials, no one was injured during the incident that took place during Madduramma Devi Jatre festivities.

The incident took place as the chariot was being dragged towards the fair and the structure suddenly tilted and collapsed, said the officials.

Confirming the development, Hebbagodi police inspector Ayyan Reddy said: “The incident occurred at 2.30 pm on Saturday. As of now casualty or injury has been reported.” The inspector said that probe is on into the matter, however, no case has been registered.

“The chariot is taken in a procession by pulling 60 bullocks and tractors. The chariot was being manoeuvred with ropes and was carefully balanced in all four directions to maintain stability during the procession,” said an official in the know of the development.

“Initially the procession ran smoothly but there was trouble when the path transitioned from the paved road to a rugged dirt track. It was then the disaster struck, as one of the wheels of the chariot veered off the tarmac, sinking into the soft soil,” the official said requesting anonymity.

“The sudden imbalance caused by the wheel’s displacement led to the collapse of the chariot, plunging it to the ground. Due to the weight of the collapsed structure, a section of the chariot was buried into the soil,” said the official.

Soon after the incident, the concerned authorities and bystanders mobilised rescue efforts, ensuring the safety of all individuals involved.

An eyewitness Hanumanthappa said: “This year’s fair was unfortunately marred by the collapsing of the chariot. First, the upper part of the chariot started shaking uncontrollably during the procession, later it started titling before finally collapsing to the ground. Fortunately, no one was injured.”

The annual Madduramma fair is mostly held around April or May each year. Devotees from over 10 surrounding villages converge at the Madduramma temple for the event. According to the people familiar with the matter, among the rural communities, “it has been a custom to construct chariots, known as “theru in Kannada, to transport the offerings.”