Devotees had begun converging on the fort since late Wednesday, torches of ‘Shiv Jyot’ lighting up the night as groups from across Maharashtra poured in. The surge transformed accessible areas into bottlenecks, particularly around the cramped Amberkhana below the Elephant Gate and Ganesh Gate passages.

Eyewitnesses described how the overwhelming pressure snapped the railing, igniting chaos. People clambered over one another to flee, resulting in falls and bruises amid the pushing frenzy. Local police sprang into action, stabilizing the crowd and prioritizing medical aid for the casualties.

SP Sandeep Gill addressed the media, downplaying severity: ‘Only minor injuries to a handful; everything is normal now.’ He appealed for calm and warned against misinformation. The swift response averted worse outcomes, but questions loom over the fort’s preparedness for such massive gatherings.

As the nation honors Shivaji’s legacy, this episode serves as a stark reminder for investing in safety upgrades at tourist forts. Officials are reviewing protocols to ensure future events proceed without hitches, balancing reverence with risk management.