Man playing Hanuman's role dies of heart attack during Ramlila in Haryana

Man playing Hanuman’s role dies of heart attack during Ramlila in Haryana

A man who was playing the role of Hanuman in a ‘Ramlila’ play died on stage while performing in Haryana’s Bhiwani on Monday, officials said. The man, identified as Harish Mehta, suffered a heart attack during his performance.

The incident unfolded during an event called “Raj Tilak” in honour of Lord Ram that was being held at the Jawahar Chowk area in Bhiwani.

The program involved preparations for the coronation of Lord Ram through a song. Upon the conclusion of the song, Harish Mehta, performing as Hanuman, was supposed to offer prayers at Lord Ram’s feet.

As Harish took the position to bow down at Lord Ram’s feet, he suddenly collapsed, and his lifeless body left the audience in shock. For a while, spectators believed that it was a part of the act, but when attempts were made to pick him up from the stage, he did not respond.

Harish Mehta, still in his Hanuman costume, was rushed to the hospital, where doctors declared him ‘brought dead’.

Harish had retired from the post of Junior Engineer in the electricity department. He had been playing the role of Hanuman for the past 25 years.

The untimely demise of Harish Mehta came amid the nationwide celebration of the ‘Pran Pratishthan’ ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Earlier in the day, a 65-year-old man suffered a heart attack while he was in Ayodhya to witness the highly-anticipated ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Lalla’s idol.

However, a rapid response team quickly evacuated him and provided on-site treatment. Once his condition stabilised, Srivastava was transported to the civil hospital for further observation and specialised care.

Large-scale celebrations were held in different parts of the country. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the consecration of the grand Ram Temple, which was watched by lakhs of people on television and social media at their homes.

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