At Least 168 Die In India Temple Stampede

More Than 100 More Injured During Hindu Festival That Drew Crowds Topping 12,000

(AP)  At least 168 people were killed and 100 injured when thousands of pilgrims stampeded Tuesday at a Hindu temple in the historic town of Jodhpur in western India, officials said.

Severe overcrowding apparently caused the crush as more than 12,000 people gathered at the temple to celebrate a Hindu festival, Jodhpur Police Superintendent Malini Agarwal said.

At least 168 people were killed in the stampede, said Naresh Pal Gangwar, the district collector.

The stampede apparently began as false rumors of a bomb spread among the crowd, said Ramesh Vyas, a pilgrim who was standing in line. India has been hit by a spate of recent bomb attacks, the latest on Monday night in the western city of Malegaon.

Television footage from Jodhpur showed dozens of bodies lying on the sidewalk, while nearby frantic people tried to revive unconscious devotees, slapping their faces and pressing on their chests.

Others dragged people by their arms and legs, running down a ramp that leads to the temple inside the massive 15th century Mehrangarh fort that overlooks the town.

One child sat on the ground next to the body of a woman, rubbing her forehead and crying "mother, mother."

"Several people fell down as the floor became slippery with thousands of devotees breaking coconuts for offering at the temple," said Ramesh Vyas, a witness.

The injured have been admitted to half a dozen hospitals in Jodhpur.

Thousands had gathered at the temple at dawn Tuesday to mark the first day of Navratra, a nine-day Hindu festival to honor the Mother Goddess.

Jodhpur is some 180 miles southwest of the Rajasthan state capital of Jaipur.

The Mehrangarh fort is one of the town's biggest tourist attractions with its huge walls, ornate interiors and views overlooking Jodhpur's "blue city."

Deadly stampedes are a relatively common occurrence at temples in India, where large crowds — sometimes hundreds of thousands of people — congregate in small areas lacking facilities to control big gatherings.

In August, 145 people were killed when rumors of an avalanche sparked a stampede at a hilltop temple in northern India.

[rsoxfan1123]

incog-nito- the loosely connected belief in this case is a particular "goddess" which represents the death mother and has received human sacrifice for centuries and very likely still does. It did today for sure.

[jankebenz]

I point this out not to judge Christianity, but to respond to the seeming attitude from some Christians/Westerners that everyone else''''s religion is flawed. Umm, Council of Nicea, anyone? This book in, that book out. Presto, we have a Bible. That *doesn''''t* lead to convolution and corruption? Then there''''s the issue of those who influenced the translations for what political and personal ends. Yes, I know the Word is supposedly handed down from God, but it was handed down via and to Man,

Posted by mdalerwill at 06:41 PM : Sep 30, 2008

The council of nicea had nothing to do with establishing which bible books stayed or went, the old testament predates the arrival of Jesus by several hundred years,and the new testament books were written between 6- 50 years after his resurrection . The nicea council meet to create a standard of believes and doctrines namely the nicene creed.

[incog-nito]

rsoxfan1123: "Hinduism" is not a single religion, but a name assigned by the West to a bunch of loosely connected religious beliefs. The religion itself evolves over thousands of years. If you so far back enough in history to the more primitive periods, yes you will find somewhere, sometime instances of cruelty, in any religion. That does not say anything about present-day Hinduism.

Having said that, one would think that after so many stampedes the Indian authorities would figure out some sort of crowd control.

[minnick8-2009]

but to respond to the seeming attitude from some Christians/Westerners that everyone else''''s religion is flawed.

Posted by mdalerwill

Whatever, I''m not the one dead in the street in India as a result of stampeding in a so called temple.

[minnick8-2009]

Umm, Council of Nicea, anyone?

Posted by mdalerwill

I agree, the council of Nicea corrupted Christianity.

[mdalerwill]

How could Hinduism be anything but convoluted, corrupted, and a figment of a thousand people''''s imaginations? No wonder India is backward and seeped in superstition--telephones and computers notwithstanding.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by minnick8

I point this out not to judge Christianity, but to respond to the seeming attitude from some Christians/Westerners that everyone else''s religion is flawed. Umm, Council of Nicea, anyone? This book in, that book out. Presto, we have a Bible. That *doesn''t* lead to convolution and corruption? Then there''s the issue of those who influenced the translations for what political and personal ends. Yes, I know the Word is supposedly handed down from God, but it was handed down via and to Man, and Man has some issues. Including being backward and superstitious, no matter his religion.

[minnick8-2009]

AS A MATTER OF FACT JESUS CHRIST DEMANDED HUMAN SACRIFICE ALL THE TIME AND HE EVEN BEHEADED MANY BY HIMSELF...... HOW DO U LIKE THAT??

Posted by Good4Always

That is not true. You should stop reading anti Christian propaganda.

[rsoxfan1123]

The Goddess is also
called as Narayani, Sabari and Chandi.
Among other things, sacrifice of the
human victim and the custom of selling human flesh
as depicted in the hymn in question is really
gruesome and horrible.
Devi Cult in Medieval Hinduism and Jainism
Dr. Gouri Shankar Tripathy

[rsoxfan1123]

There was another form
of Chandika in the tenth century A.D. as is evident
from the descriptions of the devi and the blood
stained temple in works like Kadambari of Bana,
the great writer of repute and Haribhadra''s
Sumaraiccakaha.

Devi Cult in Medieval Hinduism and Jainism
Dr. Gouri Shankar Tripathy

[rsoxfan1123]

In Somdeva''s Yasastilaka the most important is,
of course, that of Candamari which forms the
starting point of the matter among the non-Jain
cult. Human sacrifice was an essential feature of
the worship of that goddess. To some extent it is
gruesome and fantastic.

Devi Cult in Medieval Hinduism and Jainism
Dr. Gouri Shankar Tripathy

[rsoxfan1123]

incog-nito- Ggoogle (or otherwise research) the history behind Chamunda befoe you type your opinions next time.

[rsoxfan1123]

In Hinduism, Chamunda (Sanskrit: %u091A%u093E%u092E%u0941%u0923%u094D%u0921%u093E, C%u0101%u1E43u%u1E47%u1E0D%u0101), also known as Chamundi and Charchika, is a fearsome aspect of Devi, the Hindu Divine Mother and one of the seven Matrikas (mother goddesses). She is also one of the chief Yoginis, a group of sixty-four or eighty-one Tantric goddesses, who are attendants of the warrior goddess Durga.[2] The name is a combination of Chanda and Munda, two monsters whom Chamunda killed. She is closely associated with Kali, another fierce aspect of Devi.[3] She is sometimes identified with goddesses Parvati, Chandi or Durga as well. The goddess is often portrayed as haunting cremation grounds or fig trees. The goddess is worshipped by ritual animal sacrifices along with offerings of wine and in the ancient times, human sacrifices were offered too.

[caliman95]

yes, I meant Peace but you know what - you don''t seem to care so what difference does it make. Have a good day. May you all find Peace somehow.

[minnick8-2009]

HAVENT YOU HEARD WHY AMERICAN DONT HAVE JOBS??....THATS IS THE REASON

Posted by Good4Always

Why yes, I have heard. That is why I was worried that my very own credit card contact in India might be one of the dead ones.

[thevicar1]

You can thank the "American" corporations that outsource American jobs to other countries for that ------------------------- Posted by incog-nito



If we are gonna outsource stampeing religious whack-os, India would be the place to go, eh?

[thevicar1]

Oh man. Why so much hatred towrds other human being? People died and let them rest in piece ------------------------------------------ Posted by CALIMAN95


You mean ''peace'', dont you?

Im sure the stampede already caused them to rest in piece(s).

[caliman95]

Oh man. Why so much hatred towrds other human being? People died and let them rest in piece.

[incog-nito]

Don''''''''t know about that, BUT they have computers and telephones. I know thisa because everytime I call for help with my internet, cable, telephone I have to learn their accent all over again so I can understand what they want me to do to fix the d@ng thing.

Posted by docpeter1953 at 02:22 PM : Sep 30, 2008

You can thank the "American" corporations that outsource American jobs to other countries for that.

[incog-nito]

Its ironic that at a temple dedicated to a "goddess" that demanded human scarifices for centures she just got a whole bunch more.

Posted by rsoxfan1123 at 03:15 PM : Sep 30, 2008

Your assertion would be a lot more persuasive if it was not made up out of thin air.

[easeup-2009]

Don''''t know about that, BUT they have computers and telephones. I know thisa because everytime I call for help with my internet, cable, telephone I have to learn their accent all over again so I can understand what they want me to do to fix the d@ng thing.

Posted by docpeter1953 at 02:22 PM : Sep 30, 2008

"First I must ask you to reboot your machine...."