Puri: In a tragic incident during the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri on Sunday, one person died and nearly 400 devotees suffered injuries in a stampede. The accident took place while devotees were pulling the chariot of Lord Balabhadra.

The stampede was caused by devotees pulling each other, leading to a chaotic situation. One devotee, who was from outside Odisha, suffocated after coming under Lord Balabhadra’s chariot and died.

How the incident took place

The annual Rath Yatra had commenced in the morning with worship and rituals, attracting lakhs of people from across India and the world. As the devotees eagerly gathered around the three chariots, a stampede broke out late in the evening while the Nandighosa chariot of Lord Jagannath was being pulled.

Emergency services responded quickly, rushing the injured to nearby hospitals. Over 50 devotees have already been treated and discharged.

Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation and provide necessary assistance to the injured. The Rath Yatra preparations had been completed in advance and the event was proceeding smoothly until the stampede incident took place.

President Droupadi Murmu offers prayers in Puri

On Sunday afternoon, thousands of people pulled huge chariots from the 12th century Jagannath temple in Puri towards the Gundicha temple about 2.5 km away. On this occasion, President Draupadi Murmu did ‘parikrama’ of the three chariots and bowed before the deities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also wished the countrymen on the occasion of Rath Yatra.

The President, Odisha Governor Raghubar Das, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, started the yatra by pulling the ropes connecting the main Jagannath chariot. Opposition leader Naveen Patnaik also had darshan of the deities. Thousands of people pulled the nearly 45-feet high wooden chariot of Lord Balabhadra.

Also known as the Rath Utsav, during this yatra, Lord Jagannath, Goddess Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra travel to the temple of their aunt Goddess Gundicha Devi. The Rath Yatra ends with their return after eight days. This is known as Ulta Rath.