The Utsava Murthys are traditionally immersed thrice during the Tirthwari, and priests usually rise from the sinking. During the Theerthavari celebration, the priests went into a pool of waist-deep water with the utsava murtis and abhishekam. On the third rise, one priest’s feet got stuck in the mud, and he was unable to get up, causing him to sink and ultimately drown. Four nearby priests tried to save him but ended up drowning themselves.
The temple management informed the authorities, and the bodies of the victims were retrieved. Three of the victims were from Nanganallur, one from Kilikattala, and one was from Madipakkam. Two were students and the rest were employees, and all were under 25 years old. Following the incident, it was discovered that the Theerthavari program was not authorized or adequately secured.
As this tragic event highlights, it is essential to seek proper permissions and implement necessary security measures before organizing any festivals or events. Hopefully, lessons are learned from this to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
solution
Generally, the Utsava Murthys should be immersed thrice during the Tirthwari. And the priests will also rise from the sinking. Just like that, the priests descended into the 20-feet-deep pool of waist-deep water with the utsava murtis and abhishekam. Then they sank twice together and got up.
Third time
A priest’s feet got stuck in the mud while rising for the third time. He could not get up and staggered around with his hands covered in water. He immediately sank into the water. Due to this, 4 priests who were nearby tried to save him and they also drowned in the water.
Temple management
The temple management immediately informed the fire department and the police. Subsequently, during the search for them, the bodies of Raghavan, Lokeswaran, Panesh and Surya were found. The body of another person was later recovered.
3 people
It is said that 3 of them are from Nanganallur, one is from Kilikattala and another is from Madipakkam. Two of them are college students and the remaining three are employees. After this, the dead bodies were recovered and sent to Crompet Government Hospital. All are under 25 years of age.
Tirthavari program
Regarding this incident, some people said that permission was not taken from the police department and fire department for this Theerthawari program. No further security measures were taken. It is said that this is why these unfortunate incidents took place. Also, a request has been made to hold festivals in such a way that this does not happen again.