Karnataka: 71 devotees fall sick a day after eating prasadam at Mandya temple

MANDYA: A day after they had eaten puliyogare served as prasadam at the Sri Maramma temple in Lingapattana village in Malavalli taluk, Mandya district, more than 70 devotees fell sick on Wednesday. Among the complaints that the devotees who were rushed to the primary health centre in Halaguru village on Wednesday had included dysentery and fatigue.
As the day progressed and the number of patients reporting sick at the PHC rose alarmingly, the personnel alerted their superiors, and ambulances and personnel were dispatched to supplement the efforts of those in Halaguru.A temporary medical camp was subsequently set up at a nearby government school to treat seven patients – Shreya, 14, Darshan, 18, Lingegowda, 41, Jyotika, 20, Ishwarya, 17, Shilpa, 28 and 19-year-old Likhita – the condition of whom is reportedly critical.
Malavalli taluk health officer Dr Veerabhadrappa said that, barring the aforementioned seven patients, the remaining people who reported sick with similar symptoms were out of danger. A team of doctors was supervising the condition of those who took ill after eating the puliyogare at the shrine, which the healthcare personnel said was contaminated. “More than 200 people in Lingapattana ate the prasadam, among whom 70 took ill. But we are keeping an eye on all of those who ate the prasadam,” Dr Veerabhadrappa said.
Samples of prasadam to be tested in laboratory
Mandya district health officer (DHO) Dr Manchegowda said that samples of the prasadam that was served at the Sri Maramma temple on Tuesday had been collected, and sent to the laboratory to be tested.
“The results will reveal the actual cause behind the mass illness of the villagers. We have deployed enough doctors, and other healthcare staff, along with sufficient medical equipment and medicines. If the condition of any of the patients deteriorates, we have stationed ambulances to ferry them to the Mandya Medical College hospital for more advanced treatment,” Dr Manchegowda said.
The incident understandably revived memories of the Sulwadi Maramma temple tragedy in December 2018 when 17 devotees to the shrine fell prey, after consuming poisoned prasadam, to a conspiracy hatched by some of the members in its administration. However, a senior police officer in Mandya dismissed rumours suggesting similarity between the two events. “Prima facie evidence suggests that the contamination of the prasadam was not intentional. But we are going to probe the incident from all possible angles and unearth the truth,” he said.
Mandya superintendent of police Parashuram said that cops in the district had been asked to probe the possible involvement of foul play in the incident. A case has been registered in connection with the incident at the Halaguru police station.
Incidentally, the incident at the Mandya shrine has been reported close on the heels of the reopening of the Sulwadi Maramma temple in Chamarajanagar.