A stampede outside a temple killed at least 11 pilgrims in eastern India early yesterday after thousands tried to jump a queue that stretched for kilometres during a holy Hindu month, a police officer said.

Authorities said devotees who had massed outside overnight had rushed towards the Baidyanath Jyotirlinga temple complex in Jharkhand state after news circulated that the gates were opening.

Several devotees still sleeping in the enormous queue, more than six kilometres long, were trampled in the crush over a kilometre from the main gate between 4:00 and 4:30 am, said SN Pradhan, additional director general of police in Jharkhand.

A particularly large crowd of pilgrims had gathered before dawn yesterday, considered an auspicious date to visit the complex during the month of Shravan.