Puri (Odisha) [India], July 16 (ANI): Two devotees died in separate incidents during the course of Yatra festivities in Odisha, while several others who fell ill were provided medical treatment and discharged, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said on Thursday.
In a statement, the CMO said seven persons fell unwell during the course of the festival and were immediately evacuated by deployed personnel and shifted to the hospital.
The CMO said, “During the course of the festival, seven persons felt unwell and were immediately evacuated by the deployed personnel and shifted to the hospital without delay. Among them, one male devotee aged above 60 years unfortunately succumbed, and the exact cause of death is being ascertained by the concerned authorities. Separately, in an unrelated incident, a male devotee aged above 35 years suffered a cardiac arrest and, despite immediate medical intervention, unfortunately passed away.”
The CMO also said that several devotees fell ill due to rain-related illnesses during the festival. According to the statement, they were admitted to the hospital, provided with the necessary treatment, and later discharged after recovery. Also, many devotees became unwell due to incessant rain-induced illness who were given medical treatment at the hospital and were discharged after proper medical treatment.”
Despite persistent rainfall and inclement weather conditions throughout the day, the festival witnessed an estimated 8 to 9 lakh devotees from across Odisha, the country and abroad, reflecting the unparalleled faith of devotees in the deities.
Speaking to reporters, Odisha Health Minister Dr Mukesh Mahaling said, “I would like to clarify that there has been no stampede during the Rath Yatra. Regarding the death of a person due to suffocation, a post-mortem is being conducted. You can see the large crowds during the Yatra, and there are arrangements in place to fully serve the people. The allegations made by the BJD are baseless. I want to reiterate: there has been no stampede during the Yatra.”
All the sacred rituals connected with the festival, including the pulling of the three chariots, were conducted smoothly and completed as planned.
The State Government made comprehensive and multi-layered arrangements for the successful conduct of the festival.
Extensive planning was undertaken well in advance, involving all stakeholder departments, including Police, Health, Fire Services, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Transport, Municipal Administration, Public Health Engineering, Energy and other line departments.
Round-the-clock monitoring, deployment of adequate security personnel, extensive CCTV coverage, public announcement systems, traffic regulation, sanitation measures, drinking water facilities, emergency response teams and medical infrastructure ensured that devotees could participate in the festival safely and conveniently.
Considering the unprecedented gathering of devotees and the continuous rainfall, instances of fatigue, dehydration, suffocation and minor health-related discomfort were reported during the course of the day.
Prakash Mishra, Advisor to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, said, “There was no stampede. In such a massive crowd, some people do get breathless. We had seven such cases here; unfortunately, we couldn’t save one of them, but the others are fine.”
The Jagannath Rath Yatra, one of India’s biggest and most revered religious festivals, is celebrated every year in Puri, Odisha. During the festival, Lord Jagannath, along with his siblings Balabhadra and Subhadra, is taken in grand chariots from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple. Lakhs of devotees gather to pull the towering chariots, believing it brings divine blessings and spiritual merit.
This year’s Rath Yatra – the 149th Rath Yatra – began on July 16, and the nine-day festival will conclude with the Bahuda Yatra on July 24. The deities are scheduled to ceremonially re-enter the Jagannath Temple on July 27. (ANI)
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