Puri: At least three persons, including two women, were killed and around 50 others injured in a stampede near Shree Gundicha Temple in Odisha’s Puri on Sunday morning during a ceremony related to the ongoing Rath Yatra festivities, officials said.
The incident took place around 4.20 am when thousands of devotees had gathered near the chariots parked in front of the temple, they said. The injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital, and the condition of six people is stated to be critical.
The Gundicha Temple, located around 3km from the 12th century shrine, is the aunt’s house of Lord Jagannath and his siblings Subhadra and Balabhadra.
During Rath Yatra, the deities visit their aunt’s home, stay there for seven days, and then return to their main abode — the Jagannath Temple.
According to police, chaos ensued after two trucks carrying materials for rituals reportedly entered the crowded spot near the chariots of Lord Jagannath and his sibling deities. The deities were seated on the chariots when the stampede took place.
“Thousands of devotees had assembled outside the temple since the early hours to catch a glimpse of the deities when the ‘Pahuda’ (cloth) covering the front portion of the chariots was to be removed, as part of the rituals, the officials said.
The deceased were identified as Basanti Sahu (36) from Bolagarh, and Premakant Mohanty (80) and Pravati Das (42) from Balipatna.
Their bodies have been handed over to family members, and the cremation will take place at ‘Swargadwar’ in Puri.
In a punitive measure following the stampede, Chief Minister Mohan Majhi ordered the transfer of District Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain and SP Vineet Agrawal.
Majhi also announced the suspension of two police officers – DCP Bishnu Pati and Commandant Ajay Padhi – an official release said.
He ordered an administrative inquiry into the matter to be carried out under the supervision of the development commissioner.
In another order, senior bureaucrat Saswata Mishra was appointed principal secretary to the CM in addition to his current responsibilities.
The 1996-batch IAS officer is presently posted as principal secretary in finance department with additional charge of chairman, IDCO.
The Odisha government will provide financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased, the release added.
Another notification issued by the General Administration Department stated that senior bureaucrat Aravind Agarwal has been appointed as in-charge of the overall supervision of Rath Yatra.
Earlier in a post on X, Majhi sought forgiveness from devotees of Lord Jagannath for the stampede, and tendered an apology on behalf of his government for the incident.
“Due to intense eagerness among devotees to have a glimpse of Mahaprabhu… an unfortunate incident occurred because of the resulting jostling and chaos. I and my government seek forgiveness from all Jagannath devotees. We express our condolences to the families of devotees who lost their lives… pray to Mahaprabhu Jagannath to grant them the strength to bear this profound sorrow,” Majhi said.
He also said that security lapses behind the incident would be probed and those found guilty will face stringent action.
State Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said the situation is now normal at the Shree Gundicha Temple, where devotees are offering prayers to the deities.
Puri’s titular king, Gajapati Maharaja Divyasingha Deb, expressed shock over the incident, and appealed to the state government to carry out a comprehensive inquiry into the matter.
The titular king, who is also the chairman of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC), also urged the Odisha government to take proper and immediate steps to prevent the recurrence of any such incident.
Health department sources said among those critically injured, one has been shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, while five others are in ICU.
A host of political leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik condoled the deaths, with many criticising the state government over arrangements for the Rath Yatra.
Kharge said he was deeply pained by the stampede, and asserted that the “negligence and mismanagement” which led to the tragedy are inexcusable.
In a post on X, Gandhi described the Puri temple stampede as “extremely tragic”, and urged the Odisha government to expedite relief efforts.
Union minister and BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan told PTI Videos in West Bengal’s Panihati that those supervising the management of the Rath Yatra should have made better arrangements.
BJD chief and Leader of Opposition in Odisha assembly, Naveen Patnaik, claimed that the stampede exposed the state government’s glaring incompetence in ensuring a peaceful Rath Yatra for devotees.
“While I refrain from accusing the government of criminal negligence, their blatant callousness has undeniably contributed to this tragedy. I urge the government to implement urgent corrective measures to ensure the smooth conduct of Adapa Bije, Bahuda, Suna Besha, and other key #RathYatra rituals,” Patnaik, a five-term chief minister, added.
The chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra had on Saturday reached Shree Gundicha Temple, a day after the Rath Yatra began in Puri.
The return car journey, known as ‘Bahuda Yatra’, will held this year on July 5.
