Over 100 NSG Commandos Hold Night-Time Anti-Terror Drill at Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar Temple

More than 100 National Security Guard (NSG) commandos carried out an anti-terror mock drill at the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain on Thursday night, between about 11 pm and 2 am. The exercise was meant to test security arrangements ahead of Simhastha 2028, and officials stressed that there was no actual threat.

According to the report, areas around the Neelkanth Gate and Nandi Gate were cleared before the lights were switched off. Armed commandos took positions to simulate a terrorist attack, and NSG "Black Cat" teams moved with weapons and equipment from the Mansarovar area of Mahakal Lok towards the Trinetra Control Room.

The drill aimed to check how quickly agencies could respond, neutralise attackers and evacuate devotees safely. It also looked at coordination between agencies, entry and exit points, emergency routes and evacuation procedures inside the temple complex, and sought to find any weak points in the existing security.

Madhya Pradesh's Anti-Terrorism Squad, the Mahakal and Mahakal Lok police stations, the district administration and the temple administration took part. Additional Superintendent of Police Alok Sharma said the exercise was intended to strengthen security at a site that matters to millions of devotees.

Officials did not say how many dummy attackers took part or how many devotees were considered in the evacuation scenario. The NSG had held a similar exercise at the temple on September 26, 2023, focused on counter-terrorism response and rescue.

Mahakaleshwar is one of the most visited temples in the country, and Ujjain is expected to host a very large number of pilgrims for Simhastha, the Kumbh fair held here once every twelve years. Rehearsals of this kind are part of the preparations the administration has been carrying out well ahead of the event.