JODHPUR, INDIA — At least 168 people were killed and 100 injured when thousands of pilgrims stampeded Tuesday at a Hindu temple in the historic town of Jodhpur in western India, officials said.

Severe overcrowding apparently caused the crush as more than 12,000 people gathered at the temple to celebrate a Hindu festival, Jodhpur Police Superintendent Malini Agarwal said.

At least 168 people were killed in the stampede, said Naresh Pal Gangwar, the district collector.

The stampede apparently began as false rumors of a bomb spread among the crowd, said Ramesh Vyas, a pilgrim who was standing in line. India has been hit by a spate of recent bomb attacks, the latest on Monday night in the western city of Malegaon.

Television footage from Jodhpur showed dozens of bodies lying on the sidewalk, while nearby frantic people tried to revive unconscious devotees, slapping their faces and pressing on their chests.

Others dragged people by their arms and legs, running down a ramp that leads to the temple inside the massive 15th century Mehrangarh fort that overlooks the town. Full article here.

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It was launched in ASAP 08 last Sunday. The words that Kris narrated really moved me. Was it because I’m already a mother or was it just really touching. Even the way Sarah and Rachelle Ann sung the song When You Believe during the launch, I was really touched. Today, I bought the CD - a treat for myself!

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We {and cousins} celebrated my only brother’s 23rd birthday last Saturday night {27th September}. Four of his high school friends came. Drinks were on me! 3 cases of Red Horse beer, 2 cases of SanMig Light and 3 bottles of Emperador Brandy.

That’s my SanMig Light beer and Kero-keroppi tumbler,

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Laarni of Laarnaay.com invited me to join this contest! It’s completely free! Here’s what it says:

Handbag Planet is almost here. To celebrate the October 15, 2008 launch, we are giving away a free handbag every hour for 24 hours on the day of the launch. Our high fashion, trendy handbags are inspired by popular designer brands and priced between $30 and $80.

Here’s my personal choice, if I win this contest:

Yup, you can select the handbag you would like to win - just in case.

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Right! I’m so into blog contests these days. For just one simple reason, I need more moolah for the coming holidays. And here’s another great find hosted by GH Fever:

How to join:

• Subscribe to the RSS Feed (required; 1 entry)
• Comment on this post (required; 1 entry)
• Digg, Technorati, Stumble or Reddit this entry (1 entry per site)
• Blog about this contest (5 entries)

Winners will be concluded through Random.org. Fingers crossed!

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