More than 600 devotees fell ill during the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri on July 28 due to heat and overcrowding, with many treated for injuries, fainting, and vomiting. The chaos peaked near Balabhadra’s chariot, which was stuck for an hour. Officials confirmed no fatalities, and rituals continued despite delays in reaching the Gundicha Temple.
-1751082811483_d.png "Jagannath Rath Yatra: Over 600 fall ill amid sweltering heat")
the chChariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra were stationed at the Jagannath Temple. Pic/PTI
The Jagannath Rath Yatra held on July 28 left over 600 devotees ill. According to reports, several participants required hospitalisation as their condition worsened while pulling the chariots.
Puri Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Dr Kishore Satapathy confirmed the development, stating, “Many people reported minor injuries, vomiting, and fainting, mainly due to overcrowding in Puri on Friday during the Rath Yatra.”
He added, “Most were discharged after preliminary treatment at OPDs. There were no fatalities.”
According to PTI, a local official stationed in Puri during the yatra said that “a large number of injuries occurred in the Balagandi area, where Lord Balabhadra’s chariot, Taladhwaja, was stuck for over an hour. The obstruction led to intense crowding, and several individuals were hurt while attempting to move away from the congestion.”
Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan also addressed the issue, saying, “There is no major concern. It’s not uncommon for chariot pulling to extend into the following day. All rituals were conducted as scheduled. There were no accidents or untoward events,” PTI reported.
While Lord Balabhadra’s chariot came to a halt at Balagandi Chhak, Devi Subhadra’s Darpadalan stopped at Marichkote. Meanwhile, Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosh chariot was symbolically pulled and remained stationed near the main shrine.
Devotees from across India had gathered in Puri for the chance to pull the sacred chariots. However, the large turnout led to chaos, resulting in over 600 falling ill and many sustaining injuries.
A PTI report quoted an official as saying, “More than 1 million people gathered in Puri on Friday for the Rath Yatra.”
Despite the disruption, devotees will get another opportunity to pull the chariots on Saturday, as none reached their final destination on Friday. Balabhadra’s Taladhwaja chariot was delayed due to difficulty negotiating a turn, which also held back the other two chariots from reaching the Gundicha Temple, situated 2.6 km from the 12th-century main shrine.
Additionally, Odisha Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling attributed the illnesses among pilgrims to the extreme heat and high humidity levels prevailing during the event.
(With PTI Inputs)
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