A tragic crowd collapse during the Puri Rath Yatra left one elderly devotee dead and nearly 100 injured after a barricade failed near Marichikund Square.
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Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra (PC: Twitter)
Puri Rath Yatra: In a serious security situation on Thursday, one person reportedly died due to suffocation in an alleged stampede-like situation during the Rath Yatra festival in Puri, Odisha. However, there has been no official confirmation of the devotee’s death or the stampede-like situation so far. During the Rath Yatra festival in Puri, a tragic crowd collapse occurred on Bada Danda (Grand Road) near Marichikund Square, where lakhs of devotees had gathered to watch the pulling of the sacred chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra.
Puri Rath Yatra: Key details of the incident
Besides, the report also claimed that around 200 patients have so far been admitted to the hospital and temporary health facilities in Puri, complaining of suffocation and various injuries amid the unprecedented rush of devotees and incessant downpour on Thursday.
Lakhs gather to witness grand annual Rath Yatra
Lakhs gathered in the holy coastal town of Puri to witness the grand annual Rath Yatra on Thursday. The world-famous annual Rath Yatra festival began with the Pahandi Bije ritual for the divine siblings and other deities, ahead of schedule, earlier in the day.
The holy siblings, along with other deities, during the Pahandi Bije ritual, were escorted from the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple to their respective decorated chariots in a grand ceremonial procession, accompanied by the enthralling and divine sound of traditional musical instruments such as ghanta (gong), kahali (trumpet), and telingi baja.
The priests, chanting sacred Vedic hymns, and traditional Odissi artists, with their enthralling dance performances, welcomed the deities on their nine-day sojourn at the Gundicha Temple, believed to be their birthplace.
Although the Pahandi Bije rituals began ahead of schedule, their completion was delayed by more than two hours on Thursday.
(With inputs from agencies)
