Heavy Rain Wreak Havoc on Udaipur Diwali Festival, Matabari Fair Devastated, Decorative Gate Collapses
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, November 9, 2026
The second evening of the much-awaited Diwali celebrations at Mata Tripura Sundari Temple in Udaipur turned into a nightmare on Monday as a sudden spell of severe storms and heavy rainfall wreaked havoc across the festival grounds, leaving the Diwali fair badly affected and causing considerable losses to organisers and small traders.
The sudden deterioration in weather conditions today around 5:30 PM caught visitors, traders and fair organisers by surprise. Strong winds accompanied by heavy rain swept through Udaipur and the Matabari festival area, disrupting the celebrations and forcing many visitors to leave the fairgrounds. The normally crowded Matarbari fair venue reportedly wore an almost deserted look as people rushed to find shelter from the storm.
The storm also disrupted electricity services across several parts of Udaipur, plunging the festival area into darkness and bringing many planned activities to a standstill. Temporary stalls, makeshift structures and decorative arrangements at the fair reportedly suffered damage, leaving small traders and business operators facing unexpected financial losses on only the second day of the festival.
One of the most alarming incidents occurred near the Matabari bypass, where a large decorative lighting gate erected to welcome visitors to the Diwali festival collapsed under the impact of strong winds and heavy rainfall. The structure came crashing down onto the road, while electrical wires reportedly snapped and fell onto the roadway, creating a serious threat to commuters and pedestrians.
An urgent warning was circulated among the public, advising people not to approach or use the affected stretch until the fallen structure and potentially live electrical wires were cleared. The incident raised serious questions about the stability and safety of temporary decorative installations erected along busy roads for the festival.
The collapse of the lighting gate has also triggered concerns over the manner in which the decorative structure was installed. According to local accounts, the gate had reportedly been put up only the previous night, raising questions about whether adequate time had been given for proper installation, structural stability checks and safety inspections before opening the area to public movement.
The storm also damaged Diwali lighting arrangements along important roads. At Udaipur's Subhash Bridge, sections of decorative lighting reportedly broke loose and fell onto the road, resulting in severe traffic congestion. Vehicles were stranded as the damaged decorations and adverse weather conditions disrupted normal traffic movement.
The sudden destruction of festival infrastructure has come as a major setback for the organisers, traders and thousands of people who had been expecting a vibrant celebration during the annual Diwali festival at Matabari. Small traders, particularly those who had invested their limited savings in setting up temporary stalls, are among the worst affected.
Meanwhile, visitors to the famous Mata Tripura Sundari Temple have also reportedly expressed dissatisfaction over VIP convoy movements, alleging that frequent movements and security-related restrictions have caused inconvenience to ordinary devotees. The situation has added to the difficulties faced by visitors during one of Tripura's biggest religious and cultural gatherings.
The storm has exposed the vulnerability of temporary festival infrastructure, particularly decorative gates, lighting installations and makeshift shelters erected in areas witnessing heavy public movement. Questions are now being raised about whether adequate safety assessments, weather preparedness and emergency arrangements were in place before the commencement of the fair.
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