Mad rush to touch chariot leads to tragedy Two women were killed and several other sustained injuries in a stampede during the famous Pur...
Mad rush to touch chariot leads to tragedy Two women were killed and several other sustained injuries in a stampede during the famous Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra in Odisha on Saturday. The stampede took place near Mirichakut square when the three giant size chariots were rolling out on the Bada Danda or the Grand Road. There was a mad rush among the devotees to touch the ropes of the chariots which triggered the stampede. However, security personnel and volunteers managed to control the situation. The injured have been shifted to Sriram Chandra Bhanja (SCB) Medical College & Hospital, the state's biggest government-run health facility in Cuttack. Every year, nearly 10 lakh people from India and abroad gather in Puri to participate in the mega religious event. This year there were around 20 lakh people because of Nabakalebara, the year when the three wooden images of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra in the sanctum sanctorum are replaced with new ones. The rituals concluded a few days ago. The new idols made their maiden public appearance on Saturday when they occupied the three chariots. The festival was flagged off in the morning with the traditional Pahandi Bije or the shifting of the three deities from the sanctum sanctorum of the main temple to the three well decorated and colourful chariots parked on the specious Grand Road which was already packed with a sea of devotees. The shifting of deities was followed by several other rituals including the famous Chera Panhura - the symbolic sweeping of the floor of the three chariots with a golden broom by the Gajapati Maharaja of Puri, Dibyasingha Dev. After the rituals were performed, the chariots - Nandighosa of Jagannath, Taladhwaja of Balabhadra and Debadalana of their sister Subhadra - began the three km journey to the Gundicha temple. As the devotees pulled the three chariots, priests who sat on them chanted verses and rang the sacred bells. The idols will have a week-long sojourn at the Gundicha temple before making their return journey or the Bahuda Yatra on July 26.
