Untimely heavy rain and gusty winds wreaked havoc at Tripura’s famous Matabari fair in Gomati district, collapsing stalls and welcome gates. Local traders suffered severe losses and requested a fair extension, while the district administration issued urgent safety advisories and initiated prompt restoration efforts to ensure public security.
An abrupt spell of untimely torrential rain accompanied by fierce, gusty winds wreaked havoc at the revered Matabari temple premises on Monday evening. The sudden squall disrupted the ongoing three-day fair, causing extensive physical damage to fairground infrastructure, tearing through temporary commercial installations, and dampening the festive spirit of thousands of visiting devotees.
Eyewitnesses reported that the weather took a dramatic turn late in the evening when heavy downpours lashed Udaipur and surrounding areas. Within minutes, the ferocious winds blew away tin and polythene roofs from dozens of makeshift stalls lined up along the temple approach roads. At Brahmabari, a tall decorative gate fitted with heavy electrical and lighting fixtures buckled under the wind pressure and collapsed directly onto the thoroughfare.
In another critical incident inside the venue grounds, a large tin shed erected directly in front of the main cultural stage came crashing down due to intense water accumulation and sudden gusts. While panic ensued momentarily as visitors scrambled for cover, no major injuries or loss of life were reported from the scene, largely owing to prompt crowd dispersal by local volunteers and police on duty.
The untimely weather dealt a severe financial blow to local artisans, rural entrepreneurs, and marginal vendors who had invested significantly in setting up kiosks for the annual religious gathering. The abrupt deluge inundated lower grounds, drenching merchandise, handicraft products, and food stalls. Facing crippling commercial losses on what was expected to be a peak business evening, several affected trade associations and vendors have formally appealed to the district authorities to extend the three-day festivities by an additional day to help them recover their capital investments.
Power infrastructure across the fairgrounds also suffered an immediate impact. The high-tension and domestic supply lines serving the temple and the adjoining bazaar were disrupted briefly after tree branches snapped and fell across wiring corridors. Emergency utility teams responded swiftly to isolate the damaged sectors and restored normal electricity supply to the shrine and main grounds within an hour.
Taking cognizance of the widespread waterlogging and structural damage, the Gomati District Administration and the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) sprang into action, deploying field teams and issuing an urgent public safety advisory.
Reassuring citizens, the District Magistrate of Gomati stated via an official communication: “Gomati District has witnessed unprecedented rainfall at several locations this evening. The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) is closely monitoring the situation. Road clearance and restoration operations are being undertaken by the Sub-Divisional Administrations with the active support of the Police, line departments and Civil Defence volunteers. As of now, no major injury or accident has been reported.”
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The administration strongly advised residents and devotees to avoid unnecessary travel across low-lying or inundated road stretches, steer clear of overflowing drains and streams, and immediately flag hazardous structural damage or emergencies to the round-the-clock emergency control rooms. Field personnel from the public works, fire and emergency services, and power departments remain on standby to complete clearance operations overnight.
