Puri:

A massive crowd at the Puri Rath Yatra has led to one person dying of suffocation and several others being hospitalised. The yatra, which is one of the country’s largest religious gatherings, witnessed an even higher turnout this year because it is being held over two days for the first time since 1971.

The administration stressed that the death was due to suffocation and there was no stampede-like situation despite lakhs of people gathering to witness – and participate in – the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra being taken to visit their maternal aunt, Goddess Gundicha Devi, at her temple around 2.5 km away, and then brought back.  

Officials said the death of the man was caused by heat and humidity coupled with the rush. Adequate arrangements had been made and ambulances were deployed to attend to such situations, they emphasised. Despite water being sprinkled on the devotees to keep them cool, several people could be seen carried out on stretchers and taken away in ambulances after collapsing.

President Droupadi Murmu, who was born in Odisha and has served as an MLA, also attended the yatra on Sunday. 

The pulling of the chariots began around 5.20 pm after Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalanada Saraswati went to the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra with his disciples and Puri’s titular king completed the ‘Chhera Pahanra’ (chariot sweeping) ritual.

The President, Odisha Governor Raghubar Das, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan symbolically started the mammoth exercise by pulling the ropes attached to the main chariot of Lord Jagannath. Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik also paid obeisance to the deities.

Tight security arrangements were in place, with the deployment of 180 platoons (each 30-strong) of security personnel, Puri Superintendent of Police Pinak Mishra was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. Drones were also deployed. 

CCTV cameras with AI technology were installed at Badadanda, the venue of the festival, and other strategic locations in the town, said ADG (law and order) Sanjay Kumar. As many as 46 fire tenders were also in place and DG, fire service, Sudhanshu Sarangi said water was sprinkled on the crowd to keep them cool.

(With PTI inputs)

Bhubaneswar:

In a tragic incident, one person died due to suffocation while several others sustained injuries in a stampede-like situation during the pulling of chariots in Rath Yatra at Puri on Sunday, officials said.

According to sources, several other devotees were injured in the incident while some of them are reportedly critical. They are currently undergoing treatment at the Puri district hospital.

“The chariot of Lord Balabhadra had moved ahead a little when suddenly the crowd increased outside the security cordon. Meanwhile, we saw the elderly deceased fall on the ground in the crowd. We immediately rescued him and brought him to the hospital in the ambulance. We also administered CPR to him in the ambulance on the way to hospital. I gave CPR all along and the doctor also tried hard to save him at the hospital but later pronounced him dead. From a call received on the deceased’s mobile which is with us, we came to know his name and he belonged to Balangir district,” said a volunteer working in St John Ambulance.

The administration identified the victim as Lalit Bagarti from Saintala in Balangir district. Expressing deep grief on the death of a devotee during Rath Yatra, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs four lakh for his family.

A similar stampede-like situation also occurred during the pulling of Nandighosh Rath, the chariot of Lord Jagannath.

Sources also said that due to extremely humid conditions in the holy city and the huge gathering, more than 300 persons were admitted to hospitals after feeling uneasy during the Rath Yatra till evening on Sunday.

Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, and Health Secretary Shalini Pandit also visited the hospitals and enquired about the health condition of the injured persons undergoing treatment.

The pulling of chariots was stopped on Sunday evening after they rolled a short distance and will be resumed on Monday. The state government had earlier declared July 8 as a holiday keeping in view the continuing pulling of chariots.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Puri:

The seaside pilgrim town of Puri is all set for the smooth conduct of Lord Jagannath’s annual Rath Yatra festival which will be a two-day affair after 53 years.

Along with lakhs of devotees, President Droupadi Murmu is also scheduled to witness the Rath Yatra on Sunday. The state government has made special arrangements for her visit.

Officials said that the Odisha government has made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the festival which usually is organised in a single day. Some celestial arrangements have made it a two-day event. Rath Yatra was last held for two days in 1971.

In a departure from tradition, some of the rituals related to the festival involving the three sibling deities — Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra — will also be held in a single day on Sunday.

The chariots have been parked in front of the Lion’s Gate of the Jagannath temple from where they would be taken to Gundicha temple where the chariots will remain for a week.

The chariots will be pulled by devotees on Sunday afternoon.

This year, the Rath Yatra, and related rituals like ‘Nabajouban Darshan’ and ‘Netra Utsav’ will be conducted in a single day on Sunday. These rituals are generally held ahead of the Rath Yatra.

‘Nabajouban Darshan’ means youthful appearance of deities, who were behind the doors for 15 days in a ritual called ‘Anasara’ (quarantine), conducted after ‘Snana Purnima’.

According to mythology, the deities fall ill due to excessive bathing on ‘Snana Purnima’ and therefore remain indoors.

Prior to ‘Nabajouban Darshan’, the priests performed the special ritual called ‘Netra Utsav’ in which the eyeballs of the deities are painted afresh.

Meanwhile, the state government has made elaborate arrangements for smooth and timely conduct of the annual festival.

“With the cooperation of all stakeholders, all the rituals are going on smoothly. With the blessings of Lord Jagannath, all other rituals will also be conducted according to the schedule,” Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain said.

Puri Superintendent of Police Pinak Mishra said that 180 platoons (one platoon comprises 30 personnel) of security personnel of both the state and central governments have been deployed to look after the law and order and manage the crowds during the festival.

Artificial Intelligence-based CCTV cameras have been installed at Badadanda, the venue of the festival, and other strategic locations in the pilgrim town, said ADG (law and order) Sanjay Kumar.

Special security arrangements have been made for the President’s visit to the festival. While a VIP zone has been planned for the Odisha Governor, Chief Minister, Union ministers, and other dignitaries, a buffer zone has been planned for the President, Mr Kumar said.

A dedicated team led by a senior SP rank officer has been formed to supervise President Murmu’s visit, he added.

Expecting a crowd of 10 to 15 lakh, arrangements have been made by the fire service department.

Altogether 46 modern fire tenders have been deployed in various parts of the town and along the sea beach for the Rath Yatra, said DG, fire service, Sudhanshu Sarangi.

As hot and humid weather may prevail, water will be sprinkled on the crowd, he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)