Close to 60 devotees reported sickness after eating prasad distributed during Ram Navami celebrations in Karnataka’s Bengaluru Rural district, authorities confirmed on Sunday.

Officials said nearly 400 people had partaken of the consecrated food on Saturday. By late night and early Sunday morning, several began experiencing abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhoea-like symptoms, prompting their admission to nearby medical facilities.

District Health Officer Lakka Krishna Reddy stated that about 60 individuals were treated in the early hours of the day and are now stable. Of them, 46 were admitted to the Primary Health Centre in Devanahalli, while others were taken to a private hospital for care.

Health department teams reached the temple premises soon after the incident was reported and collected samples of the prasad. These have been sent to a forensic laboratory to determine the exact cause of the suspected food contamination.

Further investigation is underway.