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Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Day after beginning of Rath Yatra in Puri, chariots of deities reach 'aunt's place'
Puri, The chariots of sibling deities - Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath - on Saturday reached the destination Gundicha Temple, a day after the Rath Yatra began in Puri. Day after beginning of Rath Yatra in Puri, chariots of deities reach 'aunt's place' Gundicha Temple is considered the aunt's place of the deities who go there every year after leaving the 12th-century Jagannath temple, situated at a distance of 2.6 km. They will go back to the main temple after nine days. The return car journey, known as 'Bahuda Yatra', will held this year on 5 July. Earlier in the day, amid chanting of 'Jai Jagannath' & 'Hari bol', devotees resumed pulling the three chariots around 10 am, after the Rath Yatra was halted on June 27 night. The chariots were scheduled to reach Gundicha temple by the evening of Friday. But they had to be stopped on Grand Road as Lord Balabhadra's Taladwaja chariot got stuck while negotiating a turn, preventing the other two from advancing. According to the tradition, 'Taladwaj' rolls first, followed by 'Darpadalan' of Devi Subhadra and 'Nandighosh' of Lord Jagannath. The chariots with deities inside were kept on the road overnight amid tight security. Thousands of devotees who spent the night in the holy town, joined in large numbers in chariot pulling amid sounds of gongs and conches. Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, DGP YB Khurania and other senior officials were found pulling Lord Jagannath's 'Nandighosh'. After the chariots reached their destination, they were parked outside the Gundicha temple. The deities will be taken inside the temple on Sunday in a ceremonial procession. "We thank all stakeholders including devotees for the conduct of Rath Yatra,' Arabinda Padhee, the chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration said. Meanwhile, all arrangements have been made for the security of the chariots and controlling the crowd, said DGP YB Khurania. Meanwhile, over 600 devotees were treated at different hospitals in Puri after becoming ill during the Rath Yatra on Saturday. While many of them were injured due to jostling, more than 200 people fainted in the hot and humid weather conditions. An estimated one million devotees participated in the annual Rath Yatra on Friday and around 5 lakh people were in the holy town on Saturday, officials said adding that the weather was favourable on Saturday even though there was light rain. The Rath Yatra is being held amid unprecedented security arrangements with the deployment of around 10,000 personnel of Odisha Police, the central armed police force, NSG and others. The police have made all arrangements for the smooth conduct of Rath Yatra, a senior official said adding that over 275 AI-enabled CCTV cameras were installed to keep a watch on the crowd. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Patnaik expresses anguish over inordinate delay in Rath Yatra in Puri
Bhubaneswar, Expressing deep anguish over the "terrible mess" in the conduct of Lord Jagannth's Rath Yatra in Puri this year, Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik on Saturday prayed to the almighty to forgive those responsible for the development. Patnaik expresses anguish over inordinate delay in Rath Yatra in Puri Patnaik, who is also a former five-time chief minister of Odisha and president of BJD, said that it is impossible not to voice concern and anguish over how things unfolded during the most sacred event in the state. Patnaik, who is recuperating at a hospital in Mumbai after surgery, in a post on X said: "We aren't here to point fingers or blame the administration for yesterday's inordinate delay in pulling the Nandighosh chariot. But it's impossible not to voice our deep concern and anguish over how things unfolded during the most sacred event in our state." Patnaik also mentioned that it is hard to forget how, last year, Lord Balabhadra's idol slipped during the 'Adapa Bije Pahandi' , a moment that left countless devotees shaken. "And now this year, we witnessed Nandighosh chariot still standing at the Singhadwar till 7:45 pm, only to move a few metres before the day ended," Patnaik said in a long social media post. "That understandably has left lakhs of devotees who came from all over the world to witness this unique event completely disenchanted and disillusioned," the former chief minister said. Patnaik said hundreds of devotees also got injured due to poor crowd management. "All we can do is pray: May Mahaprabhu Jagannath forgive all those responsible for the terrible mess that has overshadowed this divine festival this year. I hope it leads to deep introspection by all in government," he said. The chariots were scheduled to reach Gundicha temple, considered the aunt's place of the deities, by the evening of Friday. But they had to be stopped on Grand Road as Lord Balabhadra's Taladwaja chariot got stuck while negotiating a turn, preventing the other two from advancing. Explaining the delay, the Odisha Law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan on Friday said, "Due to favourable weather conditions, the number of devotees was nearly one and a half times higher than usual. Those who came specifically to pull Lord Jagannath's chariot will have the opportunity to do so tomorrow." The minister announced that chariot pulling was suspended for the day at 8 pm. He said all the rituals were completed in accordance with the schedule. Devotees on Saturday resumed pulling the chariots of Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath, after the Rath Yatra in Puri was halted on June 27 night. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
New Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Oppn slams Odisha govt for grave lapses in chariot pulling
BHUBANESWAR : The delay in pulling of chariots during Rath Yatra in Puri which led to Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra being stuck midway and Lord Jagannath barely moving a few metres from the temple has sparked a massive political outcry with the Opposition Congress and BJD blaming the state government for the mismanagement. Stating that such occurrence is not a good sign for the state, president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Bhakta Charan Das asked if pulling of the chariot of Lord Jagannath was delayed due to some genuine reason or was deliberate. Questioning the government over the conduct of Rath Yatra, Das said the festival was marred last year too as Lord Balabhadra had fallen down while being taken to Gundicha temple from the chariot. 'This time, the chariot of Lord Jagannath moved for less than a feet. The causes should be analysed properly. The reason for the delay is manmade. I had gone to the Rath Yatra. The crowd was not unmanageable inside the cordon as the government tries to make us believe,' he said. Das also alleged that the process was deliberately delayed. 'I have heard that a VIP is visiting Puri tomorrow. The administration may give any reason, but this is what I have heard,' he said. Former OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik also demanded that Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb should apologise before Lord Jagannath for the lapses.
News18
5 hours ago
- General
- News18
Rath Yatra 2025: Aarti Of Lord Jagannath Performed As Chariot Pulling Resumes On Day 2
Last Updated: Lakhs of devotees are in Odisha's Puri for Lord Jagannath's annual Rath Yatra, which commenced on Friday, June 27. Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra 2025: The chariot pulling of the Trinity deities— Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra— resumed on second day of the festival on Saturday. Lakhs of devotees are in Odisha's Puri for Lord Jagannath's annual Rath Yatra, which commenced on Friday, June 27. Thousands of people pulled the ropes attached with chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings on a road from near the 12th-century shrine towards Shree Gundicha temple, around 2.6 km away. During the festival, the devotees draw the grand chariots of the three deities to the Gundicha Temple, where the deities reside for a week and then return to the Jagannath Temple. #WATCH | Odisha: Lakhs of devotees take part in pulling the chariots at Shri Jagannath #RathYatra in Puri. — ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2025 On Saturday, the priests and devotees performed the aarti of the three deities, who were seated on their grand chariots. #WATCH | Puri, Odisha: Aarti of Lord Shri Jagannath, seated on the chariot, was performed this morning. #RathYatra (Video Source: Shree Jagannatha Temple, Puri/ 'X') — ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2025 On Friday, Lord Jagannath's chariot, Nandighosh, was halted shortly around 7:45 pm after the rolling began. It was only symbolically pulled as part of the ritual and remained parked near the main temple. While Lord Balabhadra's chariot came to a halt at Balagandi Chhak, Devi Subhadra's Darpadalan was stopped at Marichkote. Amid the chants of ' Jai Jagannath" and ' Hari Bol", beating of cymbals and blowing of trumpets and conch shells, the 'Taladwaja' chariot of Lord Balabhadra first started rolling at 4:08 PM. It was followed by Devi Subhadra's 'Darpadalan' chariot and finally Lord Jagannath's 'Nandighosh'. The chariot pulling started after Puri's titular king, Gajapati Maharaja Divyasingha Deb, performed 'Chhera Pahanra' (sweeping of chariots) on all three chariots. Wooden horses of different colours were fitted on three chariots before they were pulled by the devotees. Over 580 Injured Due To Heavy Crowd More than 500 devotees were injured during the annual Rath Yatra festival in Odisha's Puri, after massive crowds surged forward to pull the chariot of Lord Balabhadra, Kalinga TV reported. The incident reportedly occurred during the ceremonial pulling of the Taladhwaja chariot, one of the three grand chariots drawn as part of the centuries-old tradition. Responding to reports of devotees fainting during the Jagannath Rath Yatra, Odisha Minister Mukesh Mahaling said the incidents were likely due to high humidity. 'One or two devotees collapsed due to the weather conditions, but rescue teams responded quickly and took them to the hospital," he said. Security Intensified As spiritual fervour soars, the entire town of Puri has been placed under a multi-layered security cover to ensure a safe and smooth conduct of the massive festival, which draws lakhs of devotees from around the globe. To manage the massive footfall and maintain law and order during the Rath Yatra, nearly 10,000 police personnel have been deployed across the town. The Odisha Police said advanced arrangements, including surveillance through Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled cameras and drone monitoring, have been made to handle the crowd of nearly 15 lakh devotees. (With inputs from agencies)
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First Post
8 hours ago
- General
- First Post
Rath Yatra: Over 500 devotees injured due to overcrowding in Odisha's Puri, many fell ill amid intense heat
Much of the chaos unfolded near the Balagandi area, where Lord Balabhadra's chariot, Taladhwaja, was stuck for over an hour. The prolonged stoppage led to heavy crowding, trapping several devotees read more Chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra at the Jagannath Temple, on the eve of the annual Rath Yatra festival, in Puri, Odisha, on Thursday. (Image: PTI) Over 500 people attending the annual Rath Yatra festival in Odisha's Puri were injured as crowds surged to pull the chariots as part of an age-old tradition. Many injuries were also caused by heat and humidity, health officials have said. The injured devotees were taken to nearby hospitals in ambulances that were already on standby near Lord Jagannath Temple. No casualties have been reported so far. The Rath Yatra festival was celebrated across the country on Friday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD #WATCH | Devotees gather to witness and be a part of the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, which began yesterday, in Odisha's Puri. — ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2025 Odisha Minister Mukesh Mahaling said, 'One or two devotees collapsed due to the weather conditions, but rescue teams responded quickly and took them to the hospital.' The minister added that the government is ensuring that the affected people receive proper treatment. Much of the chaos unfolded near the Balagandi area, where Lord Balabhadra's chariot, Taladhwaja, was stuck for over an hour. The prolonged stoppage led to heavy crowding, trapping several devotees, some of whom were injured while attempting to escape the congestion. Authorities attributed the delay to difficulties in manoeuvring the chariot at a critical turn, which slowed the procession and intensified the congestion. The situation worsened as a surge of devotees entered restricted areas, further hindering the chariot's movement. #WATCH | Puri, Odisha | Ambulances reached the Rath Yatra spot after some people complained of suffocation and were reported unconscious due to humidity. The affected people were taken to the hospital and were provided with the required medical assistance — ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While thousands of people pulled the chariots, lakhs of others also reached the seaside temple town to participate in the festival. An estimated one million devotees gathered in Puri for the annual Rath Yatra, officials said. Meanwhile, Lord Jagannath devotees will get another chance to pull the chariots on Saturday as none of them reached their destination on Friday after Balabhadra's Taladwaja chariot got stuck. With inputs from agencies
