Celebrations at the annual Mayana Kollai festival in Vellore took a dramatic turn on the night of February 16 when a towering 60-foot temple chariot toppled amid a massive gathering of devotees. At least seven people sustained injuries as panic briefly gripped the crowd.
The incident occurred during the late-night procession, prompting swift action from police, rescue personnel, and local residents. Officials later confirmed that the situation had been stabilised and the injured were given medical attention.
Temple Chariot Collapses During Mayana Kollai
Eyewitness videos circulating from the scene showed splintered wooden beams and fragments of the massive chariot strewn across the roadway, halting traffic and drawing stunned onlookers. The accident unfolded during the Mayana Kollai festival, observed the day after Maha Shivaratri, when thousands gather for ritual processions.
The chariot, one of several carrying deities from neighbouring villages, reportedly lost balance and collapsed while moving through the festival route. Authorities have yet to confirm the exact cause of the structural failure.
तमिलनाडु के वेल्लोर में मायाना कोल्लई उत्सव के दौरान 60 फीट ऊंचा रथ पलटने से 7 लोगों की मौत, देखिए हादसे का वीडियो! #TamilNadu #ViralVideo #MayanaKollaiUtsav #ABPNews pic.twitter.com/MruJ0ZUTFZ
— ABP News (@ABPNews) February 17, 2026
Rituals Rooted In Legend
Mayana Kollai, deeply woven into local tradition, features a vibrant procession in which idols of the Goddess are carried on elaborately decorated chariots or palanquins toward a cremation ground or graveyard. The festival is steeped in mythology. One version recounts Goddess Parvathi’s victory over a demon created at a graveyard, while another speaks of her intervention to free Lord Shiva from a curse by Goddess Saraswati.
A distinctive ritual known as “Kollai” involves devotees flinging food offerings toward the deity. According to local resident S. Abirami, worshippers believe prayers made during Mayana Kollai will be answered by the following year’s celebration. Many participants don masks representing the Goddess and perform devotional dances, while large crowds assemble on the Anna Bridge to witness the spectacle.
Scale And Safety Concerns
The festival, held along the banks of the Palar river, is one of the most significant annual events in Vellore district. This year, deities from ten villages were placed on temple chariots and paraded to the riverbed, where rituals and offerings were performed.
Following the collapse, villagers from Kazhinjur managed to retrieve the idol from the fallen structure and carried it back safely. The damaged chariot was left behind.
Officials noted that government norms restrict temple chariots to a maximum height of 12 feet. However, during Mayana Kollai, chariots from Virudhambattu, Kazhinjur, and Mottur are known to soar as high as 60 feet.
The incident has revived memories of a similar accident in 2023, when a chariot from Mottur village collapsed into the Palar riverbed during the same festival. The recurrence has intensified calls for stricter adherence to safety regulations to prevent future mishaps at large religious gatherings.
