Devotion in Danger: Why India Fails at Crowd Safety

A rumor about a snapped electric wire and the spread of current at Haridwar’s famous Mansa Devi temple claimed several lives, once again exposing the grave shortcomings in crowd management at religious places. This is not the first stampede at a shrine, but it is unfortunate that no lessons are being learned from past mistakes. Such tragic, ironic, and painful incidents hold both the temple administration and the government authorities accountable. What began as a morning of faith turned into a morning of mourning, screams, and chaos?

Between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. thousands of devotees were moving up the narrow staircase leading to the temple. Suddenly, the rumor of electric current sparked panic. People stumbled over one another, and within moments, eight devotees were dead while nearly thirty were injured, many critically. The pain of those who lost their lives is being felt across the nation. The question that arises is: Where was the police deployment? Such a horrifying and heartbreaking incident will continue to haunt the victims and society for a long time. Administrative negligence, uncontrolled crowds, lack of exit routes, and disorganized management all converged to create this tragedy.

This is not an isolated case but a grim addition to a series of similar disasters seen in recent years across the world, where failures in crowd control and the indifference of authorities have resulted in catastrophic outcomes. The mourning, the panic, and the horrifying scene at Mansa Devi temple not only exposed the vulnerability of the state’s security systems but also unmasked the inhuman face of both political and religious administrations.

In India, crowd-related accidents have often claimed innocent lives. Religious gatherings, sports events, political rallies, or cultural festivals—millions attend them, and even the smallest lapse in crowd management can turn into a deadly tragedy. Just in the past year, multiple fatal incidents have occurred. Recently, a stampede in Puri became fatal. In July last year, a religious event in Hathras resulted in the deaths of 121 people. In January this year, too many devotees thronged Tirupati temple to collect tokens, overwhelming the police; six people lost their lives in the resulting chaos. Earlier this year, stampedes occurred during the Mouni Amavasya Kumbh and later at New Delhi Railway Station. In 2013, a stampede triggered by infrastructural shortcomings at Ratangarh temple in Madhya Pradesh killed 115 people. The challenge of crowd management is not limited to India. In 2022, over 150 people died in Seoul, South Korea, during the Itawon Halloween festivities due to overcrowding. Similarly, in 2015, hundreds died in a stampede during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca. Emergencies such as fires, earthquakes, and terror attacks have repeatedly exposed the weaknesses in global crowd management systems.

Why, in the world’s most populous country, are we still so careless about crowd safety? Large-scale events require fundamental improvements in infrastructure, proper training of security personnel, better public awareness, and the use of modern technologies for real-time monitoring. Every time such an accident happens, promises are made—investigations, strict action, “lessons learned”—but in reality, nothing changes. Neither the government nor its administrative machinery seems willing to adopt preventive strategies, and the general public also lacks discipline and restraint. The continued occurrence of stampedes damages India’s image internationally, sending a message that our authorities are incapable of ensuring basic safety. Crowd crush incidents happen in other countries too, but nowhere as frequently as here. Could this particular rumor not have been prevented? Is our administration so incapable of anticipating danger? Or is it simply indifferent, secure in the belief that no one will be held accountable?

The most pressing question is: Is there any scientific and reliable system for crowd management at religious sites? The stairways of Mansa Devi temple, its narrow lanes, and the cluttered market area are well-known bottlenecks, yet no permanent safety measures have been implemented. There was no immediate communication system to counter the rumor, no adequate police presence to guide people, and no proper arrangements to regulate crowd flow. Such tragedies are not merely the result of panic; they are the result of systemic negligence. Controlled entry, digital ticketing, CCTV surveillance, designated emergency exits, and the active presence of trained personnel must become mandatory at pilgrimage centers. The most worrying fact is that stampedes continue to happen for the same reasons as before, with no effective preventive mechanisms in place. Among the dead were people from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttarakhand—including a six-year-old child, teenagers, and elderly pilgrims. Their families are shattered under the sudden weight of grief. Survivors recalled that the crowd was so dense it was hard even to breathe.

This incident reminds us that a crowd is not merely an expression of faith; without proper direction and security, it can become a force of destruction. Now is the time for the government, temple trusts, and society to take firm and coordinated action so that centers of devotion do not turn into death traps. The widespread disorder at pilgrimage sites cannot be ignored: slippery paths, narrow spaces, and single-entry routes are common problems everywhere. Naturally, when attendance swells during special occasions, the risk of disasters increases, as it did during the Sawan rush at Mansa Devi.

After a stampede at an RCB event in Bengaluru, the Karnataka government introduced a crowd-control bill assigning clear responsibilities to organizers. Similar legislation is needed nationwide. Railway stations, temples, and other public places often lack sufficient space, safe exits, and structured crowd-handling strategies. In some places, exit routes are limited or unsuitable; increasing the risk of deadly congestion. There is also a shortage of adequately trained and skilled security staff. The use of advanced technologies—AI-based monitoring, drone surveillance, automated alerts—remains minimal. People are rarely informed about emergency exits, safety protocols, or evacuation drills. False information and sudden panic can easily destabilize a crowd. Emotional surges, especially during religious, sports, or entertainment events, often push people to rush ahead without caution. It would be far better if governments learned to hold their administrations genuinely accountable for such disasters. At the same time, the public itself must learn discipline—taking lessons from countries like Japan, where order and self-restraint are ingrained in large gatherings.