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Eight lives were lost, one after another, as villagers entered the well to save others – a father, a son, a friend – only to be claimed by some unseen force.
8 villagers died in the well due to toxic gas buildup.
In the heart of Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa district, the village of Kondwat has been gripped by a silence so deep it reverberates through the fields and alleyways. It all began on April 3 when what was once an ordinary well became the epicentre of one of the region’s most haunting tragedies.
What unfolded was not merely an accident but a chilling chain of deaths that turned a symbol of sustenance into a monument of fear. Eight lives were lost, one after another, as villagers descended into the well to save those who had gone before them – a father, a son, a friend – only to be swallowed by the same invisible force. It was later revealed that a toxic gas buildup had accumulated at the bottom of the well, suffocating its victims in silence.
The incident has since transformed the well into what locals now grimly call the “Well of Death”.
More than a month has passed, but fear still looms large. The villagers no longer draw water from the well. Children are forbidden to even pass nearby. “It no longer feels like a well,” says Jagannath Bai, an elderly resident, adding “It feels like something else lives there now.”
To confront the lingering dread and to offer peace to the departed, the villagers have turned to faith. This week, for the first time since the tragedy, the village gathered for a two-day spiritual ceremony. With bhajans echoing and smoke from the He went rising into the skies, Kondwat’s grief-stricken residents performed rituals aimed not only at appeasing souls but at healing themselves.
Saints were summoned from nearby towns and incantations of mantras filled the air. At the site of so much loss, garlands of marigold now hang from tree branches, and the ground is littered with flower petals instead of footprints of fleeing mourners.
“It’s not about tradition,” said village head Mukesh Thakur. “It’s about survival. As long as this fear remains, the village won’t truly live,” he added.
Among those who still struggle is the father of 22-year-old Rohit, one of the victims. Tears welled in his eyes as he placed offerings near the well. “My son only went in to save a friend,” he murmured, adding that maybe through the Puja, they could find a little peace.
Not all villagers were ready to embrace the ritual at first. Many women stayed home, afraid of being near the well. But as the community united, even the hesitant came forward. Some call it faith. Others, superstition. But for this village, it is neither – it is therapy in the language they know.
Until the rituals are complete, the well remains untouched. No water is drawn. No tools are lifted. Silence and song now coexist where panic once reigned.
Whether the Puja will truly lift the fear is uncertain. But one thing is clear: Kondwat is trying to reclaim something that was lost – not just eight lives, but the sense of safety, the ordinary rhythm of village life.
- Location :
Madhya Pradesh, India, India
- First Published:
