July 7th 2024.
Tragedy struck the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, His elder brother Lord Balavadra, and their sister Devoi Subhadra at Sri Jagannath temple in Puri on Sunday. One devotee lost his life and five others were injured, one of them in critical condition, in a stampede that occurred during the event.
According to sources, the stampede took place near Hindi School when a 60-year-old devotee suddenly fell unconscious, causing a commotion among the crowd. He was immediately taken to the District Headquarters Hospital, where he was sadly declared dead by the doctors. The identity of the deceased is yet to be determined, as confirmed by hospital authorities. Meanwhile, the five injured devotees were also rushed to the hospital, with one of them in a critical condition.
The incident happened as there was a huge rush among the devotees to pull the chariot of Taladhwaj of Lord Balabhadra. This year's Rath Yatra was particularly special due to a rare star conjunction that occurred after 53 years, resulting in the convergence of three important rituals - "Netra Utshav," "Nabajouban Vesha," and Rath Yatra - on a single day on Sunday.
The grand event was witnessed by President of India Droupadi Murmu, who graced the occasion with her presence and even initiated the pulling of the Taladhwaj of Lord Balabhadra and the Darpadalan chariot of Devi Subhadra. This was the first time a President of India participated in the Puri Rath Yatra. The event was also attended by many other esteemed guests, including Odisha Governor Raghubar Das, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and many others.
However, amidst the chaos and tragedy, the festival continued as planned. The chariots of Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra rolled down the Grand Road, with thousands of devotees pulling them with great enthusiasm and devotion. As the procession made its way to Marichikot Chhak and Raj Palace, where it halted for the day, the atmosphere was filled with religious hymns and chants of "Hari bol," "Jai Jagannath," and "Huluhuli."
Prior to the grand procession, the deities were escorted to Pahandi by the Daita servitors, accompanied by traditional temple musicians and Odissi dancers. The rituals began at 4:00 AM with Mangal Arati and were followed by Mailum, Abakash, Surya Puja, Rosa Homa, and dressing the deities in new clothes suitable for the journey. The Pahandi procession, which was scheduled to commence at 1:10 PM, started at 11:10 AM and was completed by 2:20 PM, thanks to the timely performance of all rituals.
After the Pahandi, Puri Shankaracharya Swami Neeschalananda Saraswati and Gajapati Dibyasingh Dev, along with his disciples, offered prayers to the deities on the chariots. Finally, the wooden horses were fixed to the Taladhwaja chariot of Lord Balabhadra, and devotees were allowed to pull it at 4:50 PM. This was followed by the rolling down of Devi Subhadra's Darpadalan chariot and Lord Jagannath's Nandighosh chariot.
The holy town of Puri was under tight security cover, as it welcomed President Droupadi Murmu and thousands of devotees for the Rath Yatra. About 180 platoons of police personnel were deployed, along with other security forces, to ensure the smooth observation of the festival. Artificial intelligence CCTV cameras and drone public address systems were used to monitor the movement of vehicles and pilgrim crowds, while the Coast Guard vessels patrolled the coastline and lifeguards were deployed along the beach.
Despite the unprecedented security measures, the humid and crowded conditions took a toll on many devotees, with over 300 of them being admitted to the hospital due to dehydration and suffocation. The fire services personnel had a tough time as they continuously sprayed water on the devotees to bring down the temperature. However, the festival continued with great fervor and devotion, as everyone came together to celebrate the grand Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra.
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