Puri Rath Yatra: Several devotees rescued on stretchers as crowds surge at Singhadwara for Rath Yatra
Puri, July 16
Multiple people were evacuated by emergency rescue teams on stretchers on Thursday as an overwhelming surge of pilgrims gathered at the Singhadwara of the Puri Jagannath Temple for the annual Rath Yatra.
Security personnel and emergency rescue teams quickly intervened to assist those affected by the dense crowding, administering medical attention as the massive influx of people continued to grow around the sacred chariots.
Meanwhile, the holy town of Puri is witnessing immense spiritual fervour on Thursday as the world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath begins.
Lakhs of devotees have gathered along the Grand Road (Badadanda) to witness the grand procession and catch a glimpse of the deities as they embark on their majestic chariots.
In a meticulously coordinated ritual, the deities are being brought out from the sanctum sanctorum in a grand procession known as Pahandi.
As per age-old tradition, Lord Jagannath's weapon, Lord Sudarshan, was the first to be brought out to the chariots, followed by Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, and finally, Lord Jagannath, the Lord of the Universe.
Before being placed on their respective wooden chariots, the deities will perform a ceremonial circumambulation (parikrama) of the three newly constructed grand chariots -- Nandighosha, Taladhwaja, and Darpadalana.
Following this, the deities were formally seated on their respective thrones (Ratha Bije) for their annual journey to the Gundicha Temple.
After the deities are placed on the chariots, two of the most significant rituals of the Rath Yatra are performed.
The Shankaracharya of Govardhan Peetha, Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, accompanied by his disciples, also visited the three chariots to offer prayers and perform special pujas.
In a symbol of humility and equality before the Almighty, the titular King of Puri, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, will arrive in a royal palanquin to perform the Chhera Pahanra (sweeping of the chariots) ritual.
The Gajapati Maharaja sweeped the platforms of all three chariots with a broom having a golden handle and sprinkled fragrant holy water.
After the completion of royal rituals and the fixing of wooden horses to the chariots, the grand chariot pulling by devotees started at around 2 pm.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who has visited Puri once, I can only imagine the intensity of this festival. The scene where people needed stretchers is concerning though. These massive gatherings need better crowd control systems. Having said that, the devotion of the people is truly inspiring.
The Chhera Pahanra ritual by Gajapati Maharaja is such a powerful reminder that before God, even kings are humble. You can argue about crowd management issues, but these traditions have been carried out for centuries with such precision. Hats off to the administration and volunteers managing this chaos.
Wishing everyone a blessed Rath Yatra! But can we please talk about the safety aspect? Rescuing people on stretchers is not something to be taken lightly. Hope the authorities learn from this and put better barricading and medical camps next year. Stay safe everyone.
I've always been fascinated by the Rath Yatra. The way Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra come out in Pahandi and the precision of the rituals is amazing. However, seeing people needing rescue reminds us that this festival grows bigger every year. We need more infrastructure than just enthusiasm.
Interesting read. The picture painted of the rituals, from the sweeping by the king to the chariot pulling, is quite vivid. It's a shame that in all the spirituality, the physical well-being of devotees gets compromised sometimes. Hope everyone recovers and the fest continues safely. 🙏
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