Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Apr 26: The annual Kaul festival of Shri Devi Lairai concluded with a massive gathering of devotees, but the overwhelming turnout led to crowding and tense moments at the temple premises.

As thousands arrived for the rituals, a sudden surge of devotees at the entrance resulted in pushing and jostling, with some attempting to force their way into the temple. The situation briefly became difficult to manage as crowd density increased sharply in the restricted area.

Despite the deployment of security personnel, police found it challenging to control the flow of people, and the situation temporarily went beyond manageable limits.

Officials confirmed that no major injuries have been reported so far. However, the incident has raised fresh concerns over crowd management and safety measures during large-scale religious events, particularly in handling peak-hour congestion and emergency movement routes.