A vivid religious celebration met horror late Monday night when a large 60-foot-tall temple chariot fell over during the Mayana Kollai festival resulting in a horrific accident. The incident occurred on the banks of the Palar River that has placed seven people in critical condition and triggered a serious investigation into safety violations at nearby festivals.
Midnight Chaos on the Riverbed
The accident occurred just after midnight when the chariot from Kazhinjur near Katpadi was being pulled from the sandy riverbed onto the paved road, following the ritual procession. The massive structure is heavy on the top, so when ropes were used, hundreds of devotees pulled it, witnesses said. As it twisted sideways and struck the ground, the chariot trapped around 10 people under its wooden frame.
VIDEO | Vellore, Tamil Nadu: At least seven people were injured when 60-foot temple chariot toppled during Mayana Kollai festival last last night.#Vellore #TamilNadu
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 17, 2026
(Source: Third Party)
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/gybAMmvYXi
Rescue and Medical Response
Thousands converged for the festival, with panic among the thousands of devotees, but local people and police assigned to bandobust (security) moved quickly to intervene.
- The Rescue: Police officers joined onlookers to pick up bits of debris and pull those trapped to safety.
- Medical Status: Seven people sustained serious injuries, including fractures and internal trauma. They have been taken to the Government Medical College Hospital in Adukkamparai for treatment. Their condition remains critical.
Regulatory Violations, and Inquiry
That incident has fueled significant questions about temple chariot height. Temple chariots are generally limited to a height of 12 feet for safety reasons, as per government regulations in Tamil Nadu. But the chariot that crashed this time — and the ones from adjacent villages like Virudhambattu and Mottur climbed 60 to 100 feet, according to the report.
District Collector Subbulakshmi plus Superintendent of Police Sivaraman attended the accident site and the hospital today. Another incident occurred in 2023 where a chariot from Mottur village fell into the same riverbed, and the Collector has ordered a formal inquiry into the lapse.
About Mayana Kollai
The Mayana Kollai (Vellore Kollai festival) which is held annually is a ceremony on a day after Maha Shivaratri. It culminates in processions bringing deities to the grave or river bank that symbolises Goddess Angala Parameswari vanquishing evil. The festival is deeply rooted in community tradition, but the rising “height competition” between the villages is becoming a safety concern for the administration. After the accident, the villagers of Kazhinjur salvaged the idol from the debris and set it back to the village, and the wreckage of the 60-foot structure lay scattered across the water of the Palar riverbank.
