During the annual Rath Yatra festival in Puri, Odisha, over 500 devotees were injured as a massive crowd surged forward to pull the chariot of Lord Balabhadra. The incident occurred amid heightened religious fervor and a gathering of thousands of pilgrims from across the country.
Speaking about the incident, Odisha Minister Mukesh Mahaling said that due to high humidity, one or two devotees collapsed. He also said that the rescue teams took them to the hospital immediately and that there are primary health care centres in the temple area.
#WATCH | Puri, Odisha | On reports of some people getting unconscious during the Jagannath Rath Yatra, Odisha Minister Mukesh Mahaling says, “…Due to high humidity, one or two devotees collapsed. The rescue teams took them to the hospital immediately… There are primary health… pic.twitter.com/UaXe1kYlyC
— ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2025
“I am also here to make sure glucose and water are being provided adequately. I will also visit the hospital to make sure that proper healthcare is being provided to those who may need it…,” he said as quoted by news agency ANI.
Thousands pull chariots in Puri amid chanting of ‘Jai Jagannath’
Thousands of devotees pulled the ropes attached to the chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings on a road from near the 12th-century shrine here towards Shree Gundicha temple, around 2.6 km away, as the main part of the Rath Yatra festival began on Friday. Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and many other dignitaries were among those who pulled the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Balabhadra.
According to news agency PTI, the beating of cymbals and blowing of trumpets and conch shells, the ‘Taladwaja’ chariot of Lord Balabhadra first started rolling at 4.08 PM amid chanting of “Jai Jagannath” and “Hari Bol”. It was followed by Devi Subhadra’s ‘Darpadalan’ chariot and finally Lord Jagannath’s ‘Nandighosh’.
The festival was arranged amid unprecedented security arrangements with the deployment of around 10,000 personnel from Odisha police, the central armed police force, NSG, and others.
