Puri: Undeterred by heavy rain, over nine lakh devotees from across the country and abroad thronged the pilgrim town of Puri in Odisha and witnessed the world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and siblings.
The annual festival was celebrated with immense religious fervour despite persistent rainfall throughout the day.
An official statement said that all the key rituals associated with the festival, including the ceremonial pulling of the three chariots, were conducted smoothly. Govardhan Peeth Shankaracharya Jagadguru Nischalananda Saraswati also visited the chariots of Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath and offered prayers.
The state government had put in place elaborate multi-layered arrangements involving police, health services, fire services, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), transport, municipal administration, public health engineering, energy and other departments to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival.
Authorities maintained round-the-clock monitoring with extensive deployment of security personnel, CCTV surveillance, public announcement systems, traffic regulation, sanitation meas
ures, drinking water facilities, emergency response teams and medical infrastructure to facilitate the safe movement of devotees.
Amid the massive congregation and continuous rainfall, several devotees reported health-related problems such as fatigue, dehydration, suffocation and rain-induced illness. Officials said several persons who fell ill during the festival were immediately evacuated and shifted to hospitals.
Among them, a male devotee aged above 60 years died after being taken to hospital, while authorities are yet to ascertain the exact cause of death. In a separate incident, another male devotee aged above 35 years suffered a cardiac arrest and died despite immediate medical intervention.
Several other devotees who became unwell due to the incessant rain received treatment at hospitals and were later discharged. The overall conduct of the festival remained peaceful, orderly and well managed.
Officials maintained that there was no incident of stampede or any systemic breakdown of crowd management. The coordinated efforts of the administration, security agencies, servitors and volunteers ensured uninterrupted movement of devotees.
The state government said the overall conduct of the festival remained peaceful, orderly and well managed, while all essential services functioned effectively throughout the day.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi thanked the servitors and the lakhs of devotees for their patience, discipline and cooperation, stating that their support contributed significantly to the peaceful and successful conduct of the Rath Yatra.
Majhi also reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to further strengthening infrastructure, public services and administrative preparedness to ensure the safety, dignity and convenience of every devotee participating in the annual festival.