Key Points

A devotee named Anita, who got the opportunity to pull the chariot, shared her excitement and said, "We have been feeling lucky for the last two days because when we first came here, the Lord gave us darshan on the chariot. There was a huge crowd, but even amidst that, it seemed like he was protecting us."

"After the stampede yesterday morning, our family members were worried. However, we don't feel any chaos here. Everything is good here and everyone is kind. We are very blessed to see such beautiful scenes," she further added.

Another devotee, Deepak Rawat, who was attending the Rath Yatra for the first time, said, "I have come here for the first time and Lord Jagannath has given me a wonderful opportunity to pull the chariot. I want to thank Lord Jagannath so that he can provide such opportunities to everyone and fulfil everyone's wishes."

Three devotees lost their lives and several others were injured in Sunday's stampede at the world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri.

Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan called the stampede "very unfortunate" and said that appropriate action will be taken after the completion of investigation.

"The incident is very unfortunate. The state government has taken strict action and a senior officer will investigate the incident. We will take action once we get the report of the investigation," Harichandan told reporters.

He added, "Mahaprabhu, with his wish, he gives darshan to his devotees. Tomorrow, the devotees will have the opportunity to offer prayers. I prayed to Mahaprabhu for the well-being of everyone."

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep sorrow over the incident and announced a financial assistance of ₹25 lakh to the families of each deceased devotee. He also assured that strict action would be taken against those responsible and pledged to prevent such tragedies in the future.

Following the incident, the state government has ordered a high-level administrative inquiry to be supervised by the Development Commissioner. Puri Superintendent of Police Pinak Mishra has been appointed in place of the previous SP, and Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain has been replaced by Chanchal Rana. Odisha DCP Vishnu Pati and Commandant Ajay Padhi were also suspended for negligence of duty.

- ANI