On July 8, officials said that during this year’s Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra in Odisha, two people lost their lives while over 130 more got injured in separate incidents.
A health official told media persons that a resident of Bolangir district suffocated to death as a result of a stampede-like situation on the Grand Road in Puri on Sunday when the Rath Yatra was taking place.
“We put him into an ambulance and his pulse was still alive at that time. Actually, we took him to the hospital and did cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for him. However, he was declared dead by doctors,” noted Sushant Kumar Patnaik assistant commandant St John ambulance service.
Reports say the devotee fainted on the Grand Road while pulling Lord Balabhadra’s chariot. They immediately rushed him to Puri District Headquarters Hospital where he was declared brought dead by doctor.
While mourning his loss, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced ₹4 lakh compensation for bereaved family members.
He also directed authorities concerned to provide best treatment possible to injured devotees.
In another incident, a devotee is believed to have died when run over by wheels of a chariot during Rath Yatra in Jharsuguda district on Sunday police said.
The accident occurred during pulling of the chariot of Jagannath temple at Kukujangha village in Jajpur district. The deceased has been identified as Shyam Sundar Kishan (45).
He accidentally fell down while helping pull the chariot and its wheels then ran over his body. He almost died while being treated at central hospital until recently when he finally gave up life due to internal bleeding caused by rupture of liver due to tire injuries from running wheels of vehicle according information provided by doctors attending upon him at hospital who attended upon him thereat.
Also, more than 130 persons including few police personnel were injured during the Rath Yatra in Puri, said the health officer of Puri district.
Half of these injured persons were discharged after treatment on the same day while at least 40 persons are still under treatment, he said.
The number of people who have visited hospitals and medical camps in Puri is more than 600. Nevertheless, only over 130 have been admitted to hospital, said Director of Health Services Bijay Mohapatra.
“When Rath Yatra takes place such admissions into hospital are common. There is no one among the injured who is seriously hurt; we are treating them,” he added.
Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari visited the hospital on Sunday night and stated that “one person died while many others were admitted after sustaining injuries in stampede, dehydration, dysentery and other reasons. ‘No one is serious,’ he said adding that as hot and humid weather was prevailing in Puri on Sunday so many people suffered in this condition also.”
Meanwhile, the minister exclaimed with delight “that excellent job was done by doctors along with other staff at the hospital”; further clarifying that “….’we hope that by tomorrow evening all injured will be out of this facility’…” As early as Monday morning around 9:30 am., pulling of chariots started again for Lord Jagannath and his siblings—Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra.
Amid baring sounds from gongs (or drums), cymbals or conches sounding around chanting Hari Bol!, Jai Jagannath! The chariots carrying three holy deities resumed their journey to Shree Gundicha Temple here on Monday morning after a night stay on Grand Road .
This year however it has been two days since last time when entire city observes Ratha yatra due to celestial arrangements made for this occasion after fifty three years.
In Sunday, unlike the past years, some of such rituals (like Nabajouban Darshan and Netra Utsav), were performed within twenty-four hours. These rituals are usually observed ahead of Rath Yatra.
Anasara, for instance, is done after ‘Snana Purnima’ in which the deities are subjected to quarantine that lasts for 15 days behind closed doors; this is where Nabajouban Darshan gets its name.
On Snana Yatra day, it is believed that these deities fall sick due to over bathing and as a result they stay indoors.
Before Nabajouban Darshan, priests carried out Netra Utsav—a special ritual to paint new eyes on the gods and goddesses.
A police official stated that there were 180 platoons (each comprising thirty members) deployed in various places. This ensures tight security during the event.
The Officer said CTTV cameras using AI technology had been placed at strategic positions along with Badadanda including other locations inside the city itself.
For Rath Jatra purposes all the way from DG Fire Services Sudhanshu Sarangi informed that altogether 46 fire tenders have been positioned across all parts of town as well as sea beach.
