Stampede During Jagannath Rath Yatra in Odisha's Puri Claims Three Lives

New Delhi — At least three people, including two women, lost their lives and 10 others were injured in a stampede during the Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha.

The incident took place around 4:30 a.m. near the Shree Gundicha Temple, located about three kilometres from the Jagannath Temple, when the three grand chariots carrying the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra arrived at the temple.

According to reports, thousands of devotees had gathered near the Gundicha Temple for darshan (holy viewing) of the deities. As the crowd swelled, some people lost balance and fell, triggering a stampede. Three people died on the spot.

The deceased have been identified as Prabhati Das and Basanti Sahu, both women, and 70-year-old Premakant Mohanty. All three were residents of Khurda district and had travelled to Puri to attend the Rath Yatra. Some of the injured are said to be in critical condition.

More details regarding the incident are awaited.

The chariots were originally scheduled to reach the Gundicha Temple by Friday evening. However, the journey was delayed after the Taladhwaja chariot of Lord Balabhadra got stuck while negotiating a turn on the Grand Road, preventing the other two chariots from advancing.

While key rituals, including the ceremonial 'Pahandi' of the deities, were completed largely as per schedule set by the Jagannath Temple Administration, the pulling of the chariots faced significant delays, causing frustration among the massive crowd of devotees.

The chariots of Lord Balabhadra (Taladhwaja) and Goddess Subhadra (Darpadalana) came to a halt midway, while Nandighosha, Lord Jagannath's chariot, moved only a short distance from the Lion Gate (Singhadwar) before stopping.

Responding to media questions about the delays, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said the chariot pulling began at 4 p.m. after completion of all scheduled rituals. However, unexpected technical difficulties at key turns along the Bada Danda (Grand Road), coupled with an unprecedented turnout of devotees — estimated to be 1.5 times higher than previous years — caused major disruptions.

“Favourable weather conditions contributed to a much higher turnout this year, which made crowd management extremely challenging,” the minister explained.

The Rath Yatra is one of the most significant religious festivals in Odisha, during which the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra are carried in massive, decorated chariots to the Gundicha Temple. The deities remain there for a week before returning to the Jagannath Temple.

With inputs from IANS