Bangalore: Over 40 devotees, who were visiting the Kala Bhairaveshwara Temple in Jadigenahalli in Hoskote, were attacked by a swarm of bees on Friday. Two of them are critical and have been admitted to ICU.
Among the two, Saraswati (40) was stung badly by the bees when she tried to protect her granddaughter. Saraswati, a resident of Malur, went along with her grandchild Latika (10) to the temple to light lamps as was her custom on the ashtami of every month.
Soon after they got down from the car, Saraswati noticed a swarm of bees hovering around near the temple. When the bees started attacking the pilgrims, Saraswati, in her bid to protect her granddaughter, pushed Latika to the ground and lay on top of her. The bees stung Saraswati badly but Latika was saved.
“Saraswati is on oxygen support and the swelling caused by bee stings will take a lot of time to subside," said Dharani Mohan, Administrator, MVJ Medical College and Research Hospital, on Saturday.
“When she visited the hospital on Friday, her face was swollen and saturation level was low and she also had difficulty in breathing. Her condition is stable and she is better now,” she said.-
Another devotee, 25-year-old Muniraju from Attiwata, is also being treated at the hospital ICU. Muniraju said that the puja had not started and there were around 50 to 60 devotees at the temple when the bees started attacking them. “Everyone started running for cover. Someone might have disturbed a beehive on the temple premises,” he said.
