Archive · 26 Aug 2026
Five Lakh Devotees Join Kanwar Yatra, Triggering Highway Gridlock
About five lakh people took part in a religious Kanwar Yatra in Sehore.
The procession traveled 11 kilometres from the Siwan River to Kubereshwar Dham.
So many people attended that traffic on the Indore-Bhopal Highway moved very slowly.
Heavy vehicles had already been stopped from using the route.
One devotee from Maharashtra became seriously ill and suffered a heart attack.
An ambulance was nearby but could not get through the crowd.
Another devotee carried him to the ambulance, and he was taken to a hospital.
Police, medical teams, water taps and food stalls were arranged to help the pilgrims.
An estimated five lakh devotees joined an 11-kilometre Kanwar Yatra in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, on Tuesday.
The large turnout caused severe congestion on the Indore-Bhopal Highway, despite restrictions on heavy vehicles.
A devotee from Maharashtra suffered a heart attack and was carried to an ambulance after it could not reach him through the crowd.
About 1,200 police personnel were deployed, while traffic diversions and large parking areas were arranged.
Organizers provided more than 600 water taps, medical camps, emergency ambulances, welcome stalls and prasad along the route.
- Who
- Around five lakh devotees, along with police, administrators and medical teams, took part in or supported the yatra.
- What
- An 11-kilometre Kanwar Yatra caused severe traffic congestion and included an emergency involving a devotee who suffered a heart attack.
- When
- Tuesday.
- Where
- The yatra ran from the Siwan River to Kubereshwar Dham in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, while congestion affected the Indore-Bhopal Highway.
- Why
- The unusually large number of devotees overwhelmed the route and slowed traffic.
- Estimated attendance
- Around five lakh devotees
- Yatra route
- 11 kilometres, from the Siwan River to Kubereshwar Dham
- Traffic impact
- Severe congestion on the Indore-Bhopal Highway
- Police deployment
- Around 1,200 personnel, including 400 local personnel and 800 from other districts
- Water arrangements
- A pipeline covered about half a kilometre and more than 600 taps were installed
- Support facilities
- Medical camps, emergency ambulances, large parking areas and more than 100 welcome stalls were arranged
- Medical incident
- A devotee from Jalgaon in Maharashtra suffered a heart attack and was taken to a hospital