Staff Reporter
Bicholim/Sankhali
Following the tragedy at the Shirgao jatra that claimed six lives and left over 70 injured, the temple committee and the local administration have decided to restrict entry into Shirgao on Tuesday, the fifth day of the festival.
Police personnel will be deployed at strategic locations from Tuesday morning to enforce the order.
The decision comes as a precautionary measure to prevent any further untoward incidents.
“Next year, we will plan in advance to ensure that devotees can have darshan in a proper manner,” said chairman of the committee Dinanath Gaonkar, adding that the crowd had reduced by 50 percent over the past two days.
On Monday, several shops were closed and some shopkeepers were seen vacating the stalls along the roads leading to the temple, following instructions from the authorities. While the crowd remained manageable, many devotees were still present in the area of the Kaulotsav ritual.
Gaonkar made a fresh appeal requesting people not to visit Shirgao on Tuesday, the final day of the festival, in the interest of public safety.
Meanwhile, former temple president Vishvambhar Gaonkar said that the number of devotees and pilgrims will rise significantly in the coming years. “The temple should plan strict measures for devotees, pilgrims, stall keepers, and others,” he said. He said that disciplined administration by both the temple and the government, along with self-discipline by devotees, are key to preventing such incidents during the jatra.
A ‘dhond’ from Vhavti-Vathadev, who performed the agnidivya this year, said, “Dhonds and pilgrims do not follow discipline when they rush from the slope to the homkhand — they behave like racers, which led to the stampede.” He said that if the stampede had happened in the main crowd, blame could be placed on the police, but in this case, all government machinery was in place and cooperative.
Similar sentiments were echoed by other dhonds from Vathadev, who also expressed their condolences to those who lost their lives.
