RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Monday organized a flower shower from a helicopter over thousands of Kanwariyas (Shiva devotees) marching in Kabirdham district as part of the third Monday of the holy Sawan month. Speaking to the media at the airstrip, CM Sai said that the govt is developing ‘Bhoramdeo corridor’ with a budget of Rs 146 crore which will have special facilities for pilgrims.

We are also in talks with the Madhya Pradesh govt to provide land in Amarkantak for setting up rest houses for Kanwariyas, CM said.Chief Minister along with deputy chief ministers Vijay Sharma, Arun Sao, and assembly speaker Dr. Raman Singh, took part in the spiritual celebration.Each year, Kanwariyas undertake a 100-km foot march from Amarkantak in MP to Bhoramdeo in Chhattisgarh, to offer sacred water at the historic temple. The govt organized a grand welcome, with local MLA Bhawna Bohra leading arrangements at Kabirdham.Across the region, saffron-clad men and women filled the streets, singing devotional songs and waving tricolour Kanwars.Chief Minister Sai said, “Rs 146 crore spiritual tourism project under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme will be developed as ‘Bhoramdeo Corridor’, aimed at transforming the iconic 11th-century temple into a holistic religious destination.”The announcement coincided with a grand floral shower by helicopter over Kanwar pilgrims at Bhoramdeo.Speaking to the media, CM Sai said the project would not only revamp the historic Bhoramdeo Temple complex but also integrate other spiritually significant sites, including Madwa Mahal, Cherki Mahal, Ramchua, and Saroda Reservoir, creating a seamless spiritual and heritage circuit.Located in Choura village, 18 km from Kawardha, the Bhoramdeo Temple is a sacred 11th-century archaeological marvel where Lord Shiva is worshipped as Baba Bhoramdeo.Thousands of pilgrims from Kabirdham, Mungeli, Bemetara, Khairagarh, Rajnandgaon, and even Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh are participating this year as they undertake this journey barefoot, wearing saffron clothes, trekking up to 150 kilometers through rocky forest paths, reaffirming their faith with each step.To facilitate the 151-kilometer Kanwar Yatra, Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Vijay Sharma said that medical teams and police patrols have been deployed across key routes, including Kawardha-Bemetara Highway, Bhoramdeo Road, and forest stretches near Pandariya and Kukdoor.

The stampede at Haridwar’s Mansa Devi Temple in late July, which claimed several lives and left scores injured, has once again exposed the chronic vulnerabilities of India’s pilgrimage tourism sector. The accident, triggered by panic during the height of the Shravan pilgrimage season, was a grim reminder that India’s religious economy one of the largest drivers of domestic tourism is built on a fragile foundation.

The pattern is disturbingly familiar. Major stampedes at temples and festivals have punctuated India’s recent history from the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu & Kashmir in 2022, to last year’s Hathras tragedy in Uttar Pradesh, which left 121 people dead. Most share common failings: overcrowded infrastructure, inadequate crowd control and a lack of emergency planning. Haridwar was no exception.

Since 2021, Haridwar has welcomed over 12.72 million tourists every year, according to official tourism data. That footfall translates into livelihoods for thousands. But the Mansa Devi tragedy now casts a shadow. As news spreads through viral videos, headlines, and anxious WhatsApp messages, there’s a real fear that prospective pilgrims will stay away, especially during peak periods like Shravan and Kumbh. 

Pilgrimage tourism is big business. Haridwar alone attracts millions of visitors annually, underpinning a local economy of hotels, transport operators, food vendors and small traders. Nationally, religious tourism contributes billions of dollars to India’s GDP. But this economic engine relies heavily on public confidence. A single incident of this scale can deter pilgrims for months, and in some cases years, disrupting livelihoods that depend on steady visitor flows,  dip in arrivals could translate into substantial revenue losses for hotels, transportation operators, small traders, and other ancillary businesses.  The ramifications extend beyond short-term disruptions.

From crisis management to long-term safety planning 

What makes this systemic neglect even more troubling is that solutions are neither complex nor out of reach. Technology-driven crowd management real-time monitoring, timed entry systems, and direct digital communication with pilgrims can dramatically reduce risk. Upgrading infrastructure to withstand peak footfalls, training security personnel, and enforcing stricter controls on gatherings are equally vital. Yet, investment in safety is too often treated as discretionary rather than as the non-negotiable foundation for sustaining tourism.

The consequences ripple far beyond the immediate tragedy. For local businesses, reduced pilgrim traffic can be financially crippling, especially for small enterprises that survive on narrow margins. For state governments, reputational damage translates directly into economic loss. And for India’s broader tourism economy, each incident erodes the country’s credibility as a safe and reliable destination.

Haridwar’s tragedy is not just a local failure; it is a national wake-up call

If India wishes to continue reaping the economic dividends of its vast religious tourism sector, safety must be treated as the bedrock, not the afterthought. Without systemic reforms spanning infrastructure, governance, and public accountability the next stampede may be only a festival season away.

The warning signs have been unmistakable. In 2025 alone, India has endured a string of devastating crowd disasters. The stampede at Haridwar’s Mansa Devi Temple was preceded by tragedy in Prayagraj, where, on January 29 during the Maha Kumbh Mela, at least 30 pilgrims were killed and over 60 injured. Just weeks later, on February 15, a deadly crush at New Delhi railway station claimed 18 lives as pilgrims made their way to the same festival. In Goa, at the Sri Lairai Devi Temple on May 3, a fire-walking ritual ended in panic, leaving six people dead.

Nor have these disasters been confined to religious gatherings. On June 4, a crowd surge during an IPL victory celebration at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium resulted in 11 fatalities. And then, Haridwar: a rumour of a loose electric wire on the temple stairway triggered panic that left multiple pilgrims dead and dozens injured within minutes.

These are not isolated events. They are systemic warnings. And they can no longer be ignored.

In places like Haridwar, the time for cosmetic fixes has long passed. Safety cannot be a last-minute checklist item; it must be woven into the very design and management of large gatherings. That means embracing digital ticketing and monitoring systems that pre-empt overcrowding. It requires wider walkways, clearly marked emergency exits, and round-the-clock medical facilities. Most importantly, it calls for empowering local authorities district officials, temple boards, and festival committees with the budgets, tools, and autonomy to act proactively rather than reactively.

Equally critical is visibility. When pilgrims and visitors see safety measures in action, it builds trust. And trust is what brings them back.

Cushioning the economic blow 

Behind every news alert and statistic lies another quiet story, the kind that rarely makes headlines. A hotel with empty rooms. A food stall that used to sell out by noon is now barely making enough. A young boy who left school to help his parents recover their losses. 

In pilgrimage towns, businesses often live season to season. A single tragedy can send shockwaves through these fragile economies. For many, there’s no safety net. The government must respond not just with statements of sympathy, but with real, tangible support. Emergency financial aid. Temporary GST relief. Easy-to-access loans for small traders and vendors trying to stay afloat. 

But long-term recovery also means thinking differently. Haridwar has so much more to offer than just seasonal pilgrimages. With its natural beauty, deep-rooted traditions, and spiritual energy, it could become a centre for wellness, yoga, cultural exploration, and Ayurvedic healing. A more diversified tourism strategy could help smooth out seasonal spikes and create a more stable economic future. 

A model for safer, sustainable pilgrimage 

India is home to more than 300 major pilgrimage sites. In 2024, over 60 crore religious visits were recorded across the country. These numbers speak to the soul of a nation, but they also come with serious logistical responsibility. 

Haridwar now has a chance to lead the way. To show the rest of India what it means to marry devotion with design, tradition with safety, and faith with planning. It can become more than a pilgrimage destination. It can become a national example of what safe, sustainable spiritual tourism looks like. That means investing in smart infrastructure. Creating safer spaces. Training emergency teams. Planning not just for celebration, but for the unexpected incidences. And making sure that every person, from a first-time visitor to a local resident, feels protected. 

The stampede at Mansa Devi Temple is more than a moment of mourning it marks a critical inflection point. Haridwar now can recede into silence, or it can rise with purpose, transforming tragedy into a legacy of protection for generations to come.

In a country where faith is woven into daily life and pilgrimages sustain entire local economies, safety must not be an afterthought it must be part of the sacred pact between state, society, and the devotee. Every pilgrim sets out in hope, and that hope fuels hotels, transport operators, small traders, and a billion dollar religious tourism economy. When safety fails, it is not just lives that are lost; livelihoods crumble, businesses suffer, and destinations struggle to regain trust.

If India aspires to be a global leader in spiritual tourism, it must first lead in safety. Because no one seeking blessings should ever have to worry about returning home and no local economy should have to rebuild itself in the shadow of preventable tragedy.

Because in the end, safety is sacred too… 

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author/authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ET Edge Insights, its management, or its members

Sunday, July 27, 2025