PATNA– The festival of Karma Ekadashi, observed with devotion across Bihar on Wednesday, turned into tragedy in Munger and Nawada districts where seven devotees drowned while taking ritual baths.
In Munger district, three members of one family lost their lives in the Ganga. Police said Lakshmi Devi, her son Nishikant Kumar, and niece Priya — all from Jhaua Bahiyar village, Paswan Tola in Bariyarpur block — had entered the river for a holy dip. When Priya slipped into deep water, Lakshmi Devi and Nishikant tried to rescue her but were swept away. Their bodies were later recovered by locals and police and sent for post-mortem.
In Nawada district, four members of a family drowned in Kala Pond at Dattaroul village, Pakribarawan block. According to villagers, the family of Krishna Paswan had gone to perform Karma Puja rituals when four of them ventured too far into deep water and could not be saved. The victims were identified as Pooja Kumari and Ambika Kumari, daughters of Krishna Paswan, along with Jyoti Devi and her daughter Khushi Kumari. Their bodies were sent to Sadar Hospital in Nawada for post-mortem.
The twin incidents have cast a pall of grief over both villages, where what was meant to be a day of devotion to celebrate the bond between brothers and sisters ended in mourning.
Local authorities have urged people to exercise greater caution during ritual bathing, noting that drowning incidents during religious festivals remain a recurring tragedy in the state. (Source: IANS)
