Laid-Back Celebration Turns Catastrophic
During the Lairai Zatra festival’s proceedings on 3rd May, 2025, a stampede broke out in Sree Lairai Devi Temple located in Shirgao Village at North Goa. The stampede alone resulted in 6 fatalities and over 70 injuries, of which a number were critically hurt. The temple sets off the festival through a ritualistic fire walking ceremony called ‘Agnidivya’ where people from Maharashtra and Karnataka pour in along with people from Goa, making the number reach above 10k.
Grievances come from the president and prime minister.
Deep sorrow came from the mouth of President Droupadi Murmu for the loss of the people while wishing for the fast recovery of the injured people, who were admitted afterwards. He also expressed his condolences with the assurance that the local facilities were ready and on standby to admit all the people who needed help.
Grave Inquiry Ordered by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant
The stampede site was immediately visited by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant after hearing the news of the North Goa District Hospital people being brought there during the stampede. A statement is bound to face interrogation about the stampede ordeal and “We will make the probe report public,” provided the assurance that all the measures will be taken for the rest of the temples throughout the state.
Overcrowding and a Slippery Slope Cited as Causes
According to verification reports, the stampede was a result of a backlog along with a slippery slope at the temple area. Devotees that attended the festival, as cited by Director General of Police Alok Kumar, included 30,000 to 40,000 people. The incident worsened when people standing on the sloped region lost their balance, triggering the stampede.
Emergency Response and Medical Assistance
The emergency department responded very well, sending many ambulances to the locations of the events. The injured were taken to other hospitals, which included North Goa District Hospital at Mapusa. Health Minister Vishwajit Rane further added that a 24/7 helpline dedicated to supporting the victims and their families has been established, and all necessary medical aid is being assured.
Identities of the Dead
Surya Mayekar (Sakhali, Bicholim), Pratibha Kalangutkar (Kumbharjua), Yeshwant Kerkar (Thivim), Sagar Nandarge (Mathwada, Piligao), and Aditya and Tanuja Kauthankar (Auchit Wada, Thivim) were the six that have died. Eight of the injured are said to be in a critical state, two of them on ventilators.
Importance of the Lairai Zatra Cultural Festival
The Lairai Zatra Festival is celebrated in Goa as a cultural religious festival in honor of Goddess Lairai, who is worshiped as an incarnation of Goddess Parvati. One of the most renowned attractions of the festival, ‘Agnidivya,’ has devotees walking barefoot on burning coals. As expressions of faith and devotion, this event is performed annually. The event draws millions of people, which calls for better measures of crowd management.
The Need for Safer Practices
This tragedy has brought a lot of attention to religious events, optimizing protocols to ensure the safety of all participants. Community leaders and other experts are stressing the need for crowd control and management. They suggest controlled entrances, live surveillance, and emergency response services to avoid disasters.
Government’s Promises To Avoid Future Issues
The Government of Goa has promised to follow the suggested steps from the inquiry report set out by the event planners in order to make religious events safer. Chief Minister Sawant’s promise of being honest and taking proactive measures aims to bring back the public’s trust along with the safety of the devotees during future festivals.
