Puri Rath Yatra: Stampede near Gundicha Temple kills 3 and injures many
A stampede which took place around Puri's chariots claimed the lives of three devotees.
Aadrika Tayal 
New Delhi (India) June 29: A stampede in Puri's Saradhabali area, near the Gundicha Temple early Sunday morning claimed the lives of three pilgrims, including two ladies. It also injured more than fifty people.
Over 1,500 devotees were seated in the Saradhabali area near the Gundicha Temple, approximately 3 km from the main Jagannath Temple. They were waiting for the deities in the chariots to be unveiled to the public when two trucks carrying Charamala wood entered the area at around 4 am. There was a situation of sudden chaos when the trucks showed up out of the blue.
Siddharth Swain, Puri’s district collector, has said, "Three people were killed and six people were injured.”
Police have revealed the identity of the dead as Basanti Sahu from Bolagarh, Premakant Mohanty and Pravati Das from Bhubaneswar.
Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik posted, “I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the three devotees who have lost their lives in the tragic stampede at Saradhabali, Puri and I pray to Mahaprabhu Jagannatha for the swift recovery of the devotees injured in this devastating incident” on social media site ‘X’.
Prithviraj Harichandan, the law minister for Odisha has said that the state government will investigate the matter thoroughly. The investigation will be followed by strict action. He also said, "The chief minister has been informed." Senior police personnel, including Director General of Police (DGP) Y.B. Khurania visited the accident site.
Several devotees and the victims' relatives said that the tragedy became worse by the police's total lack of presence during the night. Vinit Agrawal, the Puri Superintendent of Police has maintained that there was a sufficient police presence surrounding the chariots.
More than 700 worshippers were admitted to hospitals after experiencing nausea and suffocation during Friday's chariot pulling. The three chariots were unable to be pulled even halfway between the Jagannath Temple and the Gundicha Temple due to the chaos.
Rath Yatra, a centuries-old chariot celebration of Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath and Devi Subhadra, brings the Odisha seaside town of Puri to life each year. Devotees ceremoniously carry the sibling deities, seated in imposing wooden chariots, from the Shree Jagannath Temple of the 12th century to the Gundicha Temple, which is thought to be their aunt's home.
Thousands of worshippers assemble to watch the show along the Grand Road. The gods are worshipped at Gundicha Temple for seven days before going back to the main temple.
Aadrika Tayal
