Latest news with #148thRathYatra
Indian Express
4 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
Day after it ran amok during Jagannath Rath Yatra procession, elephant shifted to temple's farmhouse
A day after an elephant ran amok during a procession taken out to celebrate the 148th Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad, the animal was relocated to the farmhouse of the Jagannath Temple Trust in Pirana on Saturday. At least two people were injured in the incident. Dr R K Sahu, Director of Kankaria Zoo in Ahmedabad, told The Indian Express, 'While welcoming the elephants, the people started playing loud DJ music, which made the male elephant panic. Since it was a group of three elephants, the females also followed but they were calmed immediately after.' It was due to the swift thinking and action by a joint team of the zoo authorities, forest officials, police, as well as the temple trustees and the owners of the elephant, that the situation could be brought under control, said Sahu. The first response was to tranquilise the male elephant and shift it to a calm surrounding, Sahu said. He said, 'As soon as the incident occurred, we rushed to tranquilise the male elephant. The three elephants were taken far from the crowd. While the females were brought back to the Jagannath temple as they were calm immediately without being tranquilised, the male elephant was taken to Gujri Bazar area of the riverfront, where it was tied down and allowed to calm down.' Later, Vantara, led by Reliance scion Anant Ambani, helped in the relocation of the 14-year-old elephant. 'Around midnight, once the Vantara ambulance arrived, the elephant was taken to the farmhouse of the Jagannath temple in Pirana as it was considered that it would be best to shift the elephant to the farmhouse instead of taking it back to the temple,' the director said. Sahu added that it was the Chief Conservator of Forest, Dr K Ramesh, who requested Vantara for assistance in handling the elephant. In a statement on Saturday, Vantara said, 'Vantara deployed a specialised emergency team to Ahmedabad following an incident involving three elephants running amok during the 148th Jagannath Rath Yatra in the city.' 'The team included two wildlife veterinarians, six senior mahouts, eleven trained support staff, and five elephant ambulances equipped to provide emergency medical care and behavioural support. Vantara's team assisted the local authorities with the medical assessment of the affected bull and cow elephants, offering behavioural and psychological support, and ensuring safe containment where necessary,' said the release. The statement also quoted Ramesh as well as Mahendra Jha, trustee members of Jagannath temple, stating that Vantara's 'immediate support' had helped in ensuring 'relocation of the elephants for better care'. 'Following the recent incident involving elephant unrest during the Rath Yatra, we reached out to Vantara for immediate support. Their team responded swiftly from Jamnagar and coordinated with local authorities and animal handlers to arrange for their relocation for better care,' stated Dr K Ramesh, Chief Conservator of Forest, Gujarat. Sahu added that the temple trustees will decide how long they wish to keep the male elephant in the farmhouse. Sahu said, 'For the moment, the elephant is at the farmhouse. It is now for the trustees to decide if and when they wish to shift it back to the temple premises.' 'The elephant has been part of the Rath Yatra for over four years, but on this occasion, the sudden loud music led to the incident,' he added.
India Gazette
5 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel performs sacred Pahind Vidhi; flags off 148th Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 27 (ANI): On the occasion of Ashadhi Bij, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel offered prayers to Lord Jagannath early Friday morning at the temple premises in Ahmedabad, ahead of ceremonially flagging off the 148th Rath Yatra, according to an official statement from the state government. Upholding the annual tradition, the CM performed Pahind Vidhi, the symbolic ritual of cleaning the chariot. Marking his fourth consecutive year, the CM swept Lord Jagannath Rath with a golden broom before the official commencement of the Yatra. State Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, State Cooperation Minister Jagdish Vishwakarma, and Mayor of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Pratibha Jain, were also present on the occasion. On the occasion of the Rath Yatra, the CM extended heartfelt greetings to the people of Gujarat, according to the official statement. He stated that it was his privilege to have the opportunity to perform aarti and ceremonially flag off the 148th Rath Yatra. The CM said that Lord Jagannath is a revered deity for all and prayed for His blessings to strengthen everyone's resolve in fulfilling the Prime Minister's vision of a Viksit Bharat through a Viksit Gujarat. He also noted that the Rath Yatra has been a symbol of communal harmony. On the occasion of Ashadhi Bij, the CM conveyed heartfelt New Year greetings to Kutchhi people across the country and around the world. According to the statement, on this occasion, the Mahant of the Lord Jagannath Temple, Dilipdas; the President of Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti, Avichaldas; local MLAs; the City BJP President, Prerak Shah; other dignitaries; and a large number of devotees were present. Earlier today in Gandhinagar district, CM Patel also attended the 'Kanya Kelavani Mahotsav' and the School Entrance Festival 2025 program. The CM was seen standing with young students, distributing educational kits to them. Under this admission festival, the CM mentioned that the children were enrolled in the Pundrasan Primary School. His post in Gujarati read, 'On this occasion, educational kits were distributed to the children, and outstanding students were honoured. I commend the spirit of the generous donors who contributed to the Kanya Kelavani Fund as well as to the support for the school's children, including educational kits.' (ANI)
India Today
6 days ago
- General
- India Today
Massive fire engulfs building in Noida; Rajnath Singh meets Chinese counterpart
0:44 During the 148th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Ahmedabad, an elephant lost control in the Khadia area, causing panic. The animal lost balance but was soon brought under control with the help of doctors and the forest department. Prompt action by police to clear the area ensured no casualties occurred.
NDTV
6 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Thousands Of Devotees Join 148th Rath Yatra In Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad: The 148th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath began in Ahmedabad on Friday morning, with thousands of devotees joining in for a glimpse of the deity. The raths or chariots of Lord Jagganath, his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra were pulled out of the Jagannath temple in Jamalpur area of the city by the Khalasi community as per the age-old tradition. The grand procession of the three chariots rolled on from the 400-year-old temple, and it is expected to return by 8 pm after making its way through the old city, including a few communally sensitive areas. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and his family members participated in the morning prayers at the Jagannath temple, while Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel performed 'pahind vidhi', a traditional ceremony of symbolic cleaning of roads by a golden broom. The procession, usually comprising 18 elephants, 100 trucks, 'bhahan-mandlis' (devotional groups) and 30 akhadas (local gymnasiums), will cover a distance of 16 km during the day. Several trucks have been decorated as tableaux on different themes. Throughout the day, lakhs of devotees are expected to gather on both sides of the route to pay obeisance to Lord Jagannath and his siblings. Police officials said they have made elaborate security arrangements for the procession. Nearly 23,800 security personnel have been deployed in the city to guard the annual Rath Yatra, which is expected to draw 14-15 lakh people. According to a government release, an Artificial Intelligence-based surveillance system will be used for the first time to prevent stampede-like situations. The AI-based system would notify the police and fire department in case of a fire along the route, besides alerting the police control room when too many people are gathered in a particular area, it said. About 4,500 security personnel will walk with the procession on the entire 16-km route, while 1,931 personnel will be deployed for traffic management, said officials. Several roads will remain closed to normal traffic. Senior police officials will keep a watch on the Rath Yatra procession using 2,872 body-worn cameras linked with the control room, 41 drones and 96 cameras installed at different locations and 25 watch towers. Ahead of the 148th Rath Yatra, police had organised 177 meetings of peace committees, 235 meetings of mohalla committees, 57 meetings of women's committees as well as 21 meetings with various religious leaders with the aim of maintaining communal unity and harmony, the release had said.
India Today
6 days ago
- General
- India Today
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh slams Pakistan, talks tough to China at SCO meet
0:44 During the 148th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Ahmedabad, an elephant lost control in the Khadia area, causing panic. The animal lost balance but was soon brought under control with the help of doctors and the forest department. Prompt action by police to clear the area ensured no casualties occurred.
