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The Independent
a day ago
- Health
- The Independent
Hundreds fall ill amid sweltering heat and overcrowding at India chariot festival
More than 600 devotees required medical assistance after a massive crowd gathered for a Hindu festival amid sweltering heat in eastern India on Friday. The annual festival of Rath Yatra, which draws over a million people to the city of Puri in Odisha state, saw a series of fainting spells, vomiting, and minor injuries, primarily from overcrowding near the Balagandi area, where one of the three ceremonial chariots became stuck for over an hour. Rath Yatra, also known as the Chariot Festival, is one of the most important Hindu festivals in eastern India. It celebrates the annual journey of three deities – Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra, and sister Subhadra – from their main temple in the city to a nearby shrine called Gundicha. The deities are transported on giant, handcrafted wooden chariots pulled by thousands of worshippers. The deities stay at the Gundicha temple for several days before returning to the main shrine. The return is marked by another procession and the festival ends with a ceremony called Niladri Vijaya where the chariots are taken apart. More than a million devotees had gathered in Puri by Saturday, NDTV quoted Sanjay Kumar, the additional director general of police, as saying. Puri's chief district medical officer, Dr Kishore Satapathy, said the majority of the patients were treated at outpatient clinics and later discharged. The main cause of the health issues was overcrowding at the festival, he was quoted as saying by local broadcaster CNBC. Odisha health minister Mukesh Mahaling said 'the oppressive climate during the procession' played a significant role in the spike in medical cases, PTI news agency reported. As many as 625 people were treated for heat-related illnesses and injuries, PTI said. Around 70 devotees remained hospitalised as of Saturday, with nine in critical condition, according to local authorities. No deaths were reported. Much of the unrest centred on Balabhadra's chariot, Taladhwaja, which got stuck while navigating a tight corner. The delay sparked a bottleneck that intensified as thousands of people surged forward to continue the age-old tradition of pulling the towering wooden chariots. In the crush, many entered restricted zones, making movement increasingly difficult. Ambulances stationed at the 12th-century Jagannath Temple transported the injured pilgrims to nearby medical centres. Volunteers from public and private groups also assisted in rescue and evacuation efforts.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
After 8 years, police ‘spotters' deployed to recognise criminals in crowds
1 2 3 Puri: After a gap of eight years, state police redeployed 'spotters' from different states during Rath Yatra to recognise security suspects, terrorists and notorious criminals in crowded places and alert the local authorities. The spotters, who were last deployed in 2017, are specialised police officers who have expertise in monitoring and identifying criminals from their jurisdictions. They belong to various specialised security agencies who keep a tab on persons allegedly involved in anti-national activities and pass on the information to state police for necessary action. "In an attempt to provide foolproof security to the lakhs of devotees and VVIPs during Rath Yatra, we sought the assistance of 'spotters' from different states for keeping an eye on persons linked to various criminal and terror groups, and foil their nefarious designs through pre-emptive police action. We had written to all states to send spotters to recognise security suspects during the mega event," ADG (law and order) Sanjay Kumar told TOI. Police officers said large-scale festivals like Rath Yatra, which draw global attention, also attract criminals from various regions. Teams of 'spotters' in plainclothes patrolled the Jagannath Temple, Grand Road and beach, observing the crowds carefully. The undercover police personnel were tasked with identifying criminals from their jurisdictions among the gathering. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo While spotters arrived from other states, Odisha police also positioned their own personnel from various districts as a preventive measure against crime. "We mobilised trained police personnel from other districts to specifically keep tabs on the criminals of their areas," Kumar said. Deployment of the spotters was part of a broader security strategy to ensure a safe and incident-free Rath Yatra, particularly given the recent Indo-Pakistan tensions following the Pahalgam terror strike. For the first time, NSG snipers took positions on rooftops at strategic locations around the temple and Grand Road. Besides, an anti-terrorist squad and armoured vehicle were stationed in Puri to effectively handle any untoward incident. Over 10,000 police personnel, including 203 platoons of police forces and five companies of Central Armed Police Forces were positioned for smooth conduct of Rath Yatra.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
EC officials review electoral roll plan
1 2 Patna: A nine-member team from the Election Commission of India (ECI), led by senior deputy election commissioner Maneesh Garg, on Thursday held a detailed meeting with Bihar chief electoral officer, Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, and other senior officials in Patna to review preparations for the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections. Addressing the meeting, Garg stressed the need for a special intensive revision in Bihar, given that assembly elections are scheduled to take place later this year. Deputy election commissioner Sanjay Kumar briefed officials on key guidelines through a presentation and discussions focused on the effective and timely implementation of the revision process. The ECI team included deputy election commissioners Bhanu Prakash Yeturu and Sanjay Kumar, advisor N N Butolia, principal Secretary Arvind Anand, Directors Bidyarani Konthoujam and Manoj C, deputy secretary Abhinav Agrawal and secretary Pawan Diwan. The team also interacted with district election officers, divisional commissioners, and other administrative officials during the visit. Officials said Bihar was the first state to begin the SIR exercise in the run-up to state polls with similar drives planned in other states. As part of the preparations for the 2025 elections, polling stations will also be reorganised to adhere to the standard of one booth per 1,200 voters. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The reorganisation aims to ensure that families are registered at the same polling station and that no voter has to travel more than 2km to cast their ballot. The move is intended to streamline the electoral process and make polling more accessible to voters across the state. Meanwhile, opposition parties have raised concerns about the timing and scale of the exercise. Leader of opposition in state assembly, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, alleged, "There is a big conspiracy to remove from voters' list the names of the poor who were getting free ration." RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav accused the EC of attempting to "tamper with" the rolls while Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan questioned the practicality of completing the revision within a month. CPI-ML's Dipankar Bhattacharya, in a letter to the ECI, requested the postponement of what he called an "impractical" campaign so close to elections.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
IIIT-Ranchi team wins top prize in cyber hackathon
Patna: The IIIT-Ranchi team emerged winner in the 'Cyber Hackathon 2025', a two-day national competition focused on cybercrime prevention and youth technical skill development, organised by the Economic Offences Unit of Bihar police in Patna. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Amity University, Noida, got the second prize, and Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj University, Kanpur, received the third prize on the concluding day here on Thursday. Additional director general of police, Nayyar Hasnain Khan, addressed the session, highlighting cybercrime threats and encouraging participants to create beneficial, and victim-focused technical solutions. During the event, students received problem statements requiring solutions within a 24-hour time frame. The initiative focused on developing technical tools for efficient public complaint resolution. Participants tackled various cyber challenges, including voice fraud mitigation, AI-based threat detection, document security, phishing detection, spam alerts, fake news analysis, banking fraud identification, mobile forensics, and VOIP tracking. Altogether, 14 teams presented their solutions on the second day, evaluated on multiple criteria by a distinguished panel including DIG (Cyber) Sanjay Kumar, DIG EOU Manavjeet Singh Dhillon, C-DAC Patna Director Aditya Kumar Sinha, SP (Cyber) Amarkesh D, SP (Cyber) Vinay Tiwari, and C-DAC specialists. The winning team received a Rs 30,000 cash prize, while Rs 20,000 was given to the second, and Rs 10,000 cash to the third winner.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Puri Rath Yatra 2025: Key details on traffic advisory, rules, and security measures
As the world-famous Rath Yatra kicks off in Puri, Odisha, on June 27, 2025, extensive security and traffic arrangements have been laid out to manage the massive crowd expected during the nine-day festival. With lakhs of devotees anticipated, the Odisha Police and district authorities have announced detailed plans to ensure smooth movement and public safety. Puri Police on its official twitter handle has shared the traffic advisory details. Security setup Senior IPS officers including Soumendra Priyadarshi, Sanjay Kumar, Amitabh Thakur, S. Praveen Kumar, Sarthak Sarangi, and Puri SP Vinit Agrawal are coordinating the security arrangements for the Yatra. A large number of police personnel will be deployed across Puri to monitor crowd movement and support the chariot pulling ceremonies. Authorities are using advanced surveillance techniques, though exact technologies and deployment numbers were not specified in the reports. The goal is to ensure a peaceful and safe environment for the smooth movement of the three chariots during the Yatra. Traffic advisory overview To avoid gridlock and maintain fluid movement, the Puri Police have delineated clear traffic directives for different classes of vehicles: Tourist buses From Bhubaneswar → allowed up to Malatipatapur Parking (return same way) From Brahmagiri → up to Flourish India Parking (return same route) From Konark → to Swami Narayan Temple Parking (return same route) Read more: 8 hill stations to visit in Kerala's Western Ghats Regular buses From Bhubaneswar via Malatipatapur ROB → to Talabania Bus Stand; return via Balighat, Samangara, Batagaon. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending Local Enterprise Accounting Software [Click Here] Accounting ERP Click Here Undo From Konark – similar route via Baidas Nagar. From Brahmagiri – via Mangalaghat, Malatipatapur ROB to Talabania; return via Batagaon, etc. Light motor vehicles (LMVs) From Bhubaneswar → parking at Talabania via Malatipatapur ROB, Baidas Nagar, and Grid Station; sequential parking at spots like OLA Guest House, Helipad, ITI College, Indoor Stadium, Horticulture Field, Fish Market. Overflow diverted to Sterling-area parking. From Konark → same Talabania route. From Brahmagiri → Sterling side via Mangalaghat and Sterling Chhaka with designated parking sequence. Two wheelers From Bhubaneswar and Brahmagiri → can park at Old Jagannath Ballav, then overflow to Matitota Helipad Ground and Play Ground, on a first-come-first-served basis. From Konark → allowed up to Blue Flag Beach and Hotel Neelachal Ashok parking. Note: No access via ROB road from Toshali Chhaka. Read more: Matriarchal villages around the world where women lead the way Vehicle free zones: No motor vehicles will be permitted on the entire Grand Road, and several connecting thoroughfares around the Jagannath Temple—such as from Light House to Digabareni Chhaka; Subhash Bose Chhaka to Hospital Crossing; Mochisahi, Solakhia routes toward temple. Shuttle service: These will circulate in loops from parking hubs: From Talabania → via Water Works Rd, Odisha Bakery, Ram Mandir → Ghoda Bazar. From Malatipatapur → to Atharanala via Batagaon Chhaka. From Brahmagiri → to Sterling, via Mangalaghat. With millions expected to visit Puri during this nine-day festival, orchestrating both traffic logistics and security infrastructure is critical. The elaborate zoning schemes and dedicated parking serve dual purposes: ensuring swift chariot progress and minimizing traffic chaos around the temple precincts. Meanwhile, the beefed-up police presence equipped with surveillance technology aims to preempt risks and manage crowds effectively. Attendees should follow designated routes, park only in assigned zones, and use shuttle services to beat congestion. Cooperation with police and volunteers will ensure everyone enjoys a safe, serene, and spiritually uplifting Rath Yatra 2025.
