Jejuri: Three devotees were injured on Sunday morning when two racing bulls brought by fellow pilgrims lost control and ran down the footpath steps of Khandoba Fort in Shri Kshetra Jejuri. The incident occurred around 11 am at a time when the steps were crowded with devotees, but fortunately, no small children were present on the pathway, averting a major disaster.
Despite an existing ban on bringing racing bulls and horses to the fort, devotees from Ambegaon had brought two bullocks of different breeds for darshan of Khandoba Deva. Instead of offering prayers at the base, they attempted to take the animals up the steps. When they reached halfway, both bulls suddenly broke loose and ran down the stairway at high speed, creating panic among the crowd and nearby shopkeepers.
Frightened devotees scrambled to get out of the way as the animals charged down the steps. In the ensuing chaos, Shiva Bhaskar Mohe (resident of Sangrampur, Buldhana), Vishal Ramdas Kawalkar (resident of Khamgaon, Buldhana) and Jyoti Mahesh Pawar (resident of Tirupati Nagar, Jalgaon) fell and sustained injuries. All three injured devotees are currently receiving treatment at Jejuri Rural Hospital.
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The Shri Martand Devasthan had imposed a ban on bringing bulls and horses to the fort two years ago, and signs reflecting this prohibition have been placed on all approach roads to the temple. The ban was introduced after previous incidents, including a woman being injured by a bull, highlighted the dangers of such practices.
Local shopkeepers had repeatedly advised the devotees on Sunday not to bring the bulls up the steps. However, their warnings were ignored, leading to the accident. This is not the first time devotees have stubbornly attempted to take livestock up the temple steps, despite the risk of injury to both people and animals.
The incident has reignited concerns about the enforcement of the existing ban and the safety of devotees at one of Maharashtra’s most frequented pilgrimage sites.
