A male elephant participating in the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad on Friday went out of control, injuring at least two people and causing a brief disruption to the procession before forest officials tranquilised it.
The incident took place around 10:15 am in the Khadia area, a densely populated part of the city’s old quarters.
A decorated elephant suddenly broke away from the 18-elephant group and charged in the opposite direction, triggering panic among devotees gathered in the narrow lanes.
Loud DJ music and shrill noises startled the elephant, according to the locals.
The annual procession, drawing thousands to pull the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra from the Jagannath Temple in Jamalpur along a 16-kilometer route, began around 7am.
A video of the incident shared by PTI showed the elephants trample through the crowds.
The video also showed Mahouts struggling to control the animal while people ran for safety. In the footage, one elephant appeared to charge directly toward the crowd, forcing devotees and bystanders to flee through tight alleyways.
Police, mahouts, and forest staff tranquilised the elephant within 15 minutes and removed it from the procession, which continued with 14 elephants. One person was treated on-site, while another was taken to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, officials said.
“After elephants went out of control in the Khadia area, they have been dismissed from the Rath yatra and the procession is continuing as per schedule,” Ahmedabad City police posted on X.
The Ahmedabad Rath Yatra is one of the largest religious processions in Gujarat.
This year’s event included 18 elephants, nearly 100 decorated trucks, devotional music groups (bhajan mandlis), and 30 akhadas (traditional gymnasiums). Several of the trucks have been designed as thematic tableaux showcasing religious and cultural motifs.
This year, the administration introduced an Artificial Intelligence-based surveillance system for real-time monitoring of the crowd. The system aimed to prevent stampede-like situations and ensure the safety of the participants and spectators.
Authorities had earlier said the AI tool would help detect unusual crowd movement and alert police teams deployed along the route.
Despite these precautions, the incident involving the elephants disrupted the proceedings and led to a temporary breakdown in movement along a stretch of the procession.
Elephants traditionally play a central role in the Rath Yatra, often adorned with elaborate ornaments and considered sacred as they walk ahead of the chariot carrying Lord Jagannath.
Sreedhar Vijayakrishnan, scientific advisor to Oscar-winning documentary film The Elephant Whisperers, had told The Telegraph Online in an earlier report that if an elephant is forced to stand for hours in the heat, enduring the deafening sounds of celebrations, all of which eventually causes stress.
The authorities continued with the DJ music, and the yatra, secured by 23,000 police, 41 drones, and 25 AI cameras after the attack in Ahmedabad.