Ujjain temple asks 300 guards to jump on foot bridge in bizarre durability test

Ahead of Nag Panchami, the staff of Ujjain's Mahakaleshwar temple made around 300 security guards jump on a foot overbridge during a safety check. The video has gone viral for the bizarre method.A bizarre strength test was done in Ujjain involving 300 guards and a lot of jumping. A “jump test” involving around 300 security guards at Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar temple ahead of Nag Panchami has raised questions about the procedure of testing the bridge’s strength.The 91-foot-long iron overbridge inside the temple complex is used primarily during Nag Panchami, when thousands of devotees visit the centuries-old Nagchandreshwar temple. Ahead of the festival, the temple committee carried out its annual safety checks, followed by a “jump test”.In the exercise, around 300 security guards were sent onto the bridge and asked to jump together for 10 to 15 minutes. The idea was to simulate the kind of heavy load the structure could face when large crowds gather during the festival. Watch the video here:This is not the first time the temple committee has conducted the exercise. It has been carried out for several years, with photographs and videos released by the administration as a way of assuring devotees about the bridge’s safety. However, the recent footage shared on social media has now prompted questions about the method. Social media users pointed out that in an age of engineering laboratories and modern structural testing techniques, relying on people jumping on a bridge was an inhumane way to assess its safety.The bridge itself was built around 25 years ago as a response to growing crowds at the Nagchandreshwar temple. Earlier, devotees entered through a route inside the main temple. The foot overbridge was later constructed to make the movement of pilgrims easier.(With inputs from Sundeep Kulshreshtha)- EndsPublished By: Srimoyee ChowdhuryPublished On: Aug 18, 2026 12:11 IST