The Jagannath Rath Yatra resumed in Puri on Saturday after Lord Balabhadra’s chariot got stuck on Friday, delaying progress. Devotees returned in large numbers to pull the chariots amid chants and rituals. Over 600 people were treated for heat-related illness and injuries. Authorities deployed 10,000 personnel and 275 AI CCTVs for crowd safety.
People pull chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra during the annual ‘Rath Yatra’. Pic/PTI
Devotees are back in full swing after the Jagannath Rath Yatra, which started on Friday, resumed on Saturday. Amid renewed enthusiasm, devotees on Saturday resumed pulling the chariots of Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath.
The Rath Yatra on Friday was halted on June 27. This was because the night Lord Balabhadra's Taladwaja chariot got stuck while negotiating a turn, preventing the other two from advancing.
As reported by PTI, the chariots were scheduled to reach Gundicha temple, considered the aunt's place of the deities, by the evening of Friday.
But unfortunately they had to be stopped on Grand Road as Lord Balabhadra's Taladwaja chariot got stuck. However, the chariots with deities inside were kept on the road overnight amid tight security, as per PTI.
Amid chanting of 'Jai Jagannath', the chariot pulling began again around 10 am on Saturday, after conducting the morning rituals. Thousands of devotees who spent the night in the holy town on Friday joined in large numbers in chariot pulling amid sounds of gongs and conches with full enthusiasm.
The chariots are now advancing towards the Gundicha temple, around 2.6 km away from the 12th-century Jagannath temple.
Earlier on Friday, over 600 devotees who were a part of the Rath Yatra fell ill and got injured. According to reports, several devotees who came to witness this divine celebration were hospitalised as their condition worsened while pulling the chariots.
Puri Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Dr Kishore Satapathy, while addressing this issue, said, “Many people reported minor injuries, vomiting, and fainting, mainly due to overcrowding in Puri on Friday during the Rath Yatra.”
Officials said that over 600 devotees were treated at different hospitals in Puri after becoming ill during the Rath Yatra on Saturday.
While many of them were injured due to jostling, more than 200 people fainted in the hot and humid weather conditions.
An estimated one million devotees reached Puri for the annual Rath Yatra, officials said, adding that the weather was favourable on Saturday even though there was light rain, as per PTI.
It is believed that mere touch of the chariot would confer the compassion of Lord Jagannath on devotees.
The annual Rath Yatra is being held amid unprecedented security arrangements with the deployment of around 10,000 personnel of Odisha Police, the central armed police force, NSG and others.
However, to make sure that no other unfortunate incidents happen in future, the police have made all arrangements for the smooth conduct of Rath Yatra. DGP Y B Khurania had said, adding that over 275 AI-enabled CCTV cameras have also been installed to keep a watch on the crowd.
(With PTI Inputs)
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