In a strange turn of events, six out of seven Saptarshi statues installed at the 'Mahakal Lok' corridor in Ujjain collapsed on Sunday after a powerful thunderstorm accompanied by high-speed winds, measuring at 65 kmph, ravaged the temple premises in Madhya Pradesh's Malwa region.
Tragically, the fierce thunderstorm claimed the lives of at least two individuals, with three others reported to have sustained injuries. An official statement released on Sunday night confirmed that two of the statues had suffered damage.
Although numerous devotees were present in the Mahakal corridor when the statues collapsed, no injuries were reported. Consequently, access to the premises was restricted following the incident.
The 'Mahakal Lok' corridor project, with a total expenditure of Rs 856 crore spanning two phases, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 11, 2022. The Madhya Pradesh government aims to complete the second phase of the project by 2024.
MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was attending the inaugural session of the new Parliament building in New Delhi on Sunday, stated that he had reviewed the situation with the Ujjain District Collector and was informed that two statues had been completely damaged when they fell due to the high-speed winds. He assured that all six fallen statues would be replaced under the defect liability period.
The 'Mahakal Lok' corridor stretches over a vast 900-meter area and stands as one of the largest corridors of its kind in the country. Surrounded by the revitalized old Rudrasagar Lake, this corridor is part of the redevelopment project encompassing the renowned Mahakaleshwar temple.
The state Congress leadership has raised concerns regarding the statues' collapse and has accused the BJP-led government under Shivraj Singh Chouhan of corruption in the development of the Mahakal Lok corridor. They have called for an investigation into the matter.
To uncover the truth behind the statues' collapse, the opposition party has formed a seven-member panel consisting of senior party leaders. This panel includes five MLAs - Sajjan Singh Verma, Ramlal Malviya, Dilip Gurjar, Mahesh Parmar, and Murli Morwal - as well as two members from the state media and communication department, Shobha Oza and K. K. Mishra.
Congress state General Secretary, Organisation, Rajiv Singh, announced that the panel will visit the 'Mahakal Lok' corridor to assess the damage caused by the thunderstorm and high-speed winds. Their findings will be presented to state unit chief Kamal Nath within the next week.
(With inputs from IANS)
