New Delhi: A stampede like situation disrupted the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri on Thursday after an overwhelming crowd gathered along the Grand Road during the sacred Pahandi ritual. More than 200 devotees were hospitalised after suffering breathing difficulties and other health complications, while one person is feared to have died in the incident. Authorities are yet to officially confirm the reported fatality.
The incident occurred around 500 metres from the outer security cordon as lakhs of devotees assembled to witness the annual procession of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra. Heavy congestion brought movement on the Grand Road to a standstill at several locations, leading to panic among pilgrims.
Emergency response teams, including the Special Rescue Unit, quickly launched rescue operations and evacuated devotees trapped in the densely packed crowd. Many received first aid at temporary medical camps, while those requiring further treatment were shifted to Puri Medical and other nearby hospitals.
According to preliminary information, the devotee who reportedly lost his life collapsed after experiencing suffocation and was rushed to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. An official statement on the death is still awaited.
Following the incident, authorities strengthened crowd management measures across the procession route. Additional security personnel, volunteers and emergency responders were deployed to regulate the flow of pilgrims, while extra passageways were created to facilitate the movement of devotees and emergency vehicles.
The incident comes just a year after another tragic crowd crush during the 2025 Rath Yatra near the Shri Gundicha Temple, where three devotees lost their lives and more than 50 others were injured after overcrowding led to a stampede.
Despite the disruption, the world renowned Jagannath Rath Yatra began with traditional rituals as the deities were ceremonially brought out of the 12th century Jagannath Temple and placed on their chariots. The procession was accompanied by devotional chants of “Jai Jagannath,” the beating of gongs and the blowing of conches, as lakhs of devotees gathered to witness one of India’s largest religious festivals.
