ELEPHANT RAMPAGE DISRUPTS HISTORIC RAMLILA FESTIVAL IN VARANASI

A captive elephant brought to participate in the historic Ramnagar Ramlila festival in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, broke free on Sunday morning, severely injuring its handler and causing substantial property damage across the area. The incident triggered a massive emergency response that lasted nearly 13 hours before the animal was safely contained.

The event occurred on October 18, 2026, at approximately 10:30 a.m. near the Panchvati Maidan in Ramnagar. According to local police statements, the elephant, identified as Dhanraj, suddenly became uncontrollable while being handled by its primary mahout, Chaplu, aged 26, from Bahampur, Azamgarh. Witnesses reported that the animal struck the handler with its trunk and threw him to the ground multiple times.

Following the attack on the handler, the elephant moved toward the Lanka-Panchvati road, where it struck power poles, damaged vehicles—including motorcycles and a tempo—and destroyed tin structures, perimeter walls, and over ten trees. Authorities promptly cordoned off a two-kilometer radius and temporarily disconnected power supplies in the area as a precautionary measure to prevent secondary hazards.

Emergency forces, including the police, the local forest department, and teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), coordinated to secure the area. Assistance was also provided by an expert veterinary group from the Gorakhpur Zoo, led by Dr. Yogesh Pratap Singh, alongside Chandauli District Forest Officer B. Shivshankar and Ramnagar Police Inspector Sanjay Mishra.

The mahout was transported to the Trauma Centre at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), where medical personnel treated him for extensive injuries to his head and limbs, requiring approximately 50 sutures. Official updates indicate he remains under medical care.

The situation was resolved around 11:30 p.m. after experts successfully tranquilized the animal. The elephant was subsequently loaded onto a transport truck and moved to an open area near PN College in Ramnagar for monitoring and feeding.

Due to the security emergency, the scheduled Ramlila performance—specifically the traditional staging of the Rama-Ravana encounter—was postponed, with organizers performing only a formal ritual aarti for the evening assembly.