Puri Rath Yatra 2025: Three devotees were killed and more than 50 others injured in a stampede near the Gundicha Temple in Puri, Odisha, during the annual Rath Yatra festival early Sunday morning. The incident occurred between 4 and 5 am when a massive crowd gathered for the ‘pahada bhanga’ ritual. The chaos reportedly began after two trucks carrying ritual materials entered a congested stretch near the chariots, triggering panic in the densely packed crowd.
The deceased were identified as Premakanta Mohanty (78), Basanti Sahoo (36), and Pravati Das (52). While the situation was later brought under control, six people remain critically injured.
Eyewitnesses slam poor planning and VIP arrangements
Eyewitness accounts painted a grim picture of mismanagement. Swadhin Kumar Panda, a local, said, “A VIP exit route was created while common devotees were redirected far away. People began exiting through the entrance, worsening the crowding.” He also claimed that unauthorised vehicles had entered restricted areas and that police were absent at critical moments.
Another witness, Dillip Sahoo, who lost his wife Basanti, alleged, “There were no police, no volunteers. No ambulances could reach. The system collapsed when it mattered most.”
Grieving family members said that neither rescue teams, fire personnel, nor hospital officials responded promptly. “It was a horrific scene. The crowd was left to rescue themselves. This is criminal negligence,” said Biswajit Das, husband of Pravati. He added that better arrangements for ambulance access could have saved lives.
Government action
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed sorrow and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh for each deceased’s family. He also initiated swift administrative changes: suspending Puri DCP Bishnu Charan Pati and Police Commandant Ajay Padhi, and transferring Collector Siddharth S. Swain and SP Vinit Agrawal.
A high-level administrative probe led by Development Commissioner Anu Garg has been ordered to investigate the lapses.
First fatal stampede near Gundicha
This is the first time such a fatal incident has occurred near Gundicha Temple during Rath Yatra. The chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra had reached the temple a day earlier. Officials and locals both noted that crowd pressure had delayed the pulling of Lord Jagannath’s chariot, a signal that overcrowding had already been an issue.
Just days before, over 200 devotees fell ill from overcrowding and heat. The Rath Yatra celebrations will continue until July 5 with the Bahuda Yatra.