Patna: Thousands of devotees gathered at Mahavir Temple on Thursday for Hanuman Jayanti, as authorities introduced a suite of high-tech measures, including artificial intelligence-based crowd monitoring and an 80-tonne air-conditioning system, to manage the surge.
The festival, which coincides with Chaitra Purnima, saw long queues forming from early morning near the temple, located close to Patna Junction. Devotees offered prayers, chanted religious slogans and presented naivedyam and laddoos, while the temple premises was decorated with elaborate floral arrangements.
Officials said the use of AI-powered “people-counting” systems — sourced from Bengaluru — enabled real-time monitoring of footfall within the temple complex. The technology allowed administrators to identify congestion points and deploy security personnel accordingly.
“This helps us respond instantly to crowd build-up in specific areas,” said Kishore Kunal, secretary of the Shri Mahavir Mandir Nyas Samiti, which manages the temple.
With temperatures rising in April and attendance running into the hundreds of thousands, organisers also installed an industrial-scale cooling system to improve conditions for visitors. The 80-tonne air-conditioning plant ensured a continuous flow of cool air from the sanctum to the exit gates, aimed particularly at protecting elderly devotees and children from heat-related discomfort.
Security arrangements were tightened, with private guards working alongside police forces and CCTV surveillance covering the premises. Outside, hundreds of counters distributed the temple’s popular naivedyam prasad, prepared in a style inspired by the Tirupati Temple tradition.
Despite the heavy crowds, authorities said the combination of technology and infrastructure had helped maintain order, offering a smoother experience for worshippers during one of the temple’s busiest days of the year.
