Bageshwar Dham: Second Fatal Accident In A Week, Female Devotee Dies In Wall Collapse-OxBig News Network

Bageshwar Dham, a prominent religious site in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh, has witnessed its second fatal accident within a week. On Tuesday morning, July 8, 2025, a wall of a dharma-shala (pilgrim rest house) within the Dham complex collapsed, killing a female devotee who had traveled from Uttar Pradesh.

The incident comes just days after a separate tragedy occurred at the same complex on July 3, 2025. In that earlier accident, a shed collapsed during an Aarti (prayer ritual), resulting in the death of 50-year-old Shyam Lal Kaushal, a devotee from Basti district in Uttar Pradesh.

Local authorities have initiated an investigation into the latest incident, as concerns grow over safety measures at the popular pilgrimage site. Further details regarding the victim of the wall collapse are awaited.

Earlier, Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, the head priest of Bageshwar Dham, drew significant attention during his participation in the Sanatan Mahakumbh at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, Bihar. Addressing a gathering that included over 500 saints and seers, including Guru Rambhadracharya, Shastri declared that if India were to become a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ (Hindu Nation), Bihar would be the first state to initiate it.

“We have come to Patna not for ‘Rajneeti’ (politics) but for ‘Ramneeti’ (principles of Lord Ram),” Shastri stated during his address. He further announced plans for a ‘padyatra’ (foot march) in Bihar after the state elections, emphasizing a focus on nationalism over casteism. In a pointed remark, he added, “Some people want to see the moon in the ‘tiranga’ (Indian flag), but we want to see the ‘tiranga’ on the moon.”

Later in the evening, after concluding his participation in the Sanatan Mahakumbh in Patna, Shastri returned to his ashram in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh, where he held his ‘Divya Darbar’ (divine court).

During the session, he expressed profound gratitude towards Bihar. “We can never repay Bihar’s debt; whenever we get a chance, we go to Bihar,” he remarked. He also revealed an intention to establish a Bageshwar monastery in Bihar. “On the way, I told my disciples that there should be a monastery in Bihar as well. We will decide in 5-6 months where in Bihar the monastery will be built,” he said.

Shastri explained that devotees from regions like Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, and Darbhanga travel significant distances, changing 2-3 trains to reach Bageshwar Dham in Madhya Pradesh, often taking 10-15 days to arrive. To alleviate their hardship, he plans to establish an idol of Bageshwar Hanuman in their home region. He added that while those who are capable would still visit the main Dham, he would personally visit the Bihar monastery every 6-7 months.

The announcement for a Bageshwar monastery in Bihar follows similar efforts abroad, with work for a Bageshwar monastery already underway in Fiji, located approximately 11,000 km from India.