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Rath Yatra
The West Bengal government has decided to keep an air ambulance in Digha during the return car festival of Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra, an official said. The decision to keep an air ambulance in Digha during the 'Ulto Rath Yatra' (return car festival) of Lord Jagannath was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat on Wednesday, he said. "A helicopter has been asked to be deployed on the day of Ulto Rath on July 5. The helicopter operating agency has already been informed. The air ambulance will be kept on standby from noon on July 4. This arrangement is to avoid any delay in bringing someone sick to a hospital in Kolkata," he said. The state government is expecting a huge turnout of people during the return car festival of Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Digha on July 5, the official added. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the first 'Rath Yatra' from the newly constructed Jagannath temple in the coastal town of Digha on
The Odisha government on Thursday sought information from public regarding the stampede that took place near Shree Gundicha Temple in Puri during a ceremony related to ongoing Rath Yatra festivities in which three persons were killed and 50 others injured. The state government through a public notice urged the people to share information, video footage or any other materials related to the stampede which took place early on Sunday for a proper and transparent inquiry into the incident. The public notice issued by the Planning and Convergence department, also mentioned that any individual or organisation can share their information regarding how such an incident took place. "The members of the public are urged to share information, video footage or any other material through the e-mail puritragedy.enquiry@odisha.gov.in by July 20," an official said. This apart, the notice said that the interested persons can meet and share information with Development Commissioner and Additional Chi
Wildlife rehabilitation centre Vantara stepped in with veterinarians, senior mahouts and specially-equipped ambulances when some elephants appeared visibly agitated during the Ahmedabad Rath Yatra last week. The incident, in which elephants involved in the procession appeared panicked, resulting in chaos and concern among onlookers, also raised concerns about the use of animals in high-stress, crowded environments, according to a statement from Vantara. Following the incident, state forest officials sought assistance from Vantara, an integrated wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility based in Jamnagar, it said. " Their team responded swiftly and professionally, working closely with our officials and local animal handlers to assess the elephants' condition and ensure their safe relocation," said Dr K Ramesh, chief conservator of forests in Gujarat. He said the team from Vantara provided immediate medical care, trauma support and behavioural assessments to the affected ...
The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Monday demanded the resignations of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy CM Pravati Parida and Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, holding them accountable for the stampede in Puri that claimed three lives and left over 50 injured, a statement by the party said. The party also demanded Rs 50 lakh ex gratia for each of the deceased devotees and Rs 25 lakh for those seriously injured. While Majhi had announced Rs 25 lakh ex gratia for the families of the deceased, the Congress said the amount was insufficient. Three persons, including two women, were killed and over 50 others injured in a stampede near Shree Gundicha Temple in Odisha's Puri early Sunday during a ceremony related to the ongoing Rath Yatra festivities. The incident took place around 4.20 am when thousands of devotees had gathered near the chariots parked in front of the temple. Calling the tragedy a result of gross mismanagement, the party has demanded a judicial .
A day after three people were killed and 50 others injured in a stampede near Shree Gundicha temple in Puri, thousands of devotees on Tuesday made a beeline to have a darshan of the sibling deities -- Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath. In view of Monday's incident, barricades have been erected in front of the Shree Gundicha temple and different queues made for the smooth darshan of the deities at 'Adapa Mandap' (the podium on which the deities are seated) situated inside the temple, a senior police officer said. "We are alert... by the grace of the Lord, everything is running smoothly. Devotees are entering the Shree Gundicha Temple without any hassle," said Soumendra Priyadarshi, an ADG-rank IPS officer who has been assigned the responsibility of overseeing the police arrangement during Rath Yatra. He was assigned the task by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi after the stampede. Devotees believe that they can wash away their sins if they have darshan of Lord Jagann
Condoling the loss of lives in the stampede near Gundicha Temple in Odisha's Puri, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said protecting lives is paramount and any lapse in this responsibility is unacceptable. He said the tragedy is a serious warning that security arrangements and crowd management for such big events should be taken seriously and must be reviewed. "The stampede during the Rath Yatra in Puri is extremely saddening. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families, and I hope for the speedy recovery of the injured devotees," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said in a post in Hindi on X. He appealed to the Odisha government to speed up the relief work and urged Congress workers to help in every possible way. "This tragedy is a serious warning - security arrangements and crowd management for such big events should be taken seriously and must be reviewed," Gandhi said. "Protecting lives is paramount, and any lapse in this responsibility is unacceptable," he ..
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday sought forgiveness from devotees of Lord Jagannath for the stampede near a temple in Puri, and tendered an apology on behalf of his government for the incident that left at least three people dead. Around 50 others were also injured in the stampede near Shree Gundicha Temple in the early hours of Sunday, officials said. I and my government seek forgiveness from all Jagannath devotees. We express our condolences to the families of devotees who lost their lives... pray to Mahaprabhu Jagannath to grant them the strength to bear this profound sorrow, Majhi said in a post on X. He also said that security lapses behind the incident will be probed and those found guilty would face stringent action. This negligence is unpardonable. An immediate investigation into the security lapses will be conducted, and I have directed that necessary steps be taken to initiate exemplary action against those responsible, Majhi said. The incident took pla
Idols of Lord Jagannath and his two siblings were placed inside their chariots in front of the new temple in West Bengal's Digha town, where the Rath Yatra will begin in a few hours on Friday. All other preparations for the festival are in full swing, while the administration is ready to conduct the event smoothly, an official said. "The idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra were put up in their chariots kept near the main temple gate as the sibling deities were being decked up for their annual sojourn to their aunt's place," International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Vice President Radharanan Das told PTI. As part of the festival, the three chariots will be taken out from the temple around 2:30 pm, and the entire journey will be over by 4 pm, officials said. The sweeping of the 750 km route of the Rath Yatra by a golden broom will begin at 1:45 pm. Accompanied by monks of the temple and others, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will per
Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee in Odisha's Puri has written to the ISKCON, urging it to ensure that Lord Jagannath's ceremonial bathing rituals and the Rath Yatra across the world are performed on the specific date sanctioned by scriptures and not to violate traditions. Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb of Puri, the chairman of the committee, expressed displeasure over some of the ISKCON temples across the world performing the sacred bathing rituals ('Snana Yatra') and the Rath Yatra on various dates, and alleged that such practices "violate the scriptures and the Hindu calendar". In a letter to Shree Govardhan Das Prabhu, chairman of ISKCON Governing Body Commission, Mayapur, Deb said, I request your good self to ensure that no ISKCON temple or centre anywhere in the world performs the 'Snana Yatra' or 'Ratha Yatra' of Lord Shree Jagannath on a date/tithi not sanctioned by scriptures and traditions." Deb also claimed that the temples of the ISKCON authorities outside Ind
At least two persons died and over 130 were injured in two different incidents during Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra in Odisha, officials said on Monday. A resident of Bolangir district died allegedly due to suffocation in a stampede-like situation on Sunday during the Rath Yatra in Puri, a health official said. "When we put him in the ambulance, his pulse was running. We took him to the hospital and gave him CPR. However, doctors declared him brought dead," said Sushant Kumar Patnaik, assistant commandant of St John ambulance service. According to sources, the devotee fainted on Grand Road while pulling the chariot of Lord Balabhadra. He was immediately rushed to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital, where the doctor declared him brought. Expressing grief over his death, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased. He also instructed officials concerned to ensure the best available medical care for the injured ...
The 147th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath rolled out early Sunday morning in Gujarat's Ahmedabad city where a large number of devotees flocked the procession route to pay obeisance to the deity. The raths (chariots) of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra are pulled by Khalashi community members as per the age-old tradition. The Rath Yatra is taken out on the Ashadhi Beej (second day of Hindu Ashadh month) every year. Union Home Minister Amit Shah performed the 'mangla aarti' and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel performed 'pahind vidhi', the ritual of cleaning the way using a golden broom, as the chariots rolled out from the 400-year-old Lord Jagannath temple in Jamalpur area. A senior police official earlier said more than 22,000 security personnel will guard the event and some balloon-mounted cameras will also be deployed to keep a watch on the people's movement. As many as 4,500 personnel have been deployed to walk with the procession along the entire 16
The 147th edition of the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath will take place on July 7 in Ahmedabad where more than 18,000 security personnel will be deployed to guard the event which draws lakhs of devotees, officials said. Senior police officials will keep a close watch on the procession using 1,733 body-worn cameras linked to a control room. Besides, 20 drones and 96 surveillance cameras have been installed at 47 locations on the route, an official release said on Wednesday. Nearly 1,400 CCTV cameras installed by shopkeepers on the route will also be used for live surveillance, it said. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday reviewed the security preparedness for the mega religious event at a meeting which was attended by various officials including Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi and Director General of Police Vikas Sahay. Ahmedabad Commissioner of Police GS Malik made an elaborate presentation during the meeting on various security aspects of the Rath .
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday expressed grief over the death of seven people when a Rath or ceremonial chariot of Lord Jagannath came in contact with a high tension wire in Tripura's Unakoti district during the 'Ulta Rath Yatra' or return car festival. The incident happened on Wednesday when thousands of people were pulling the chariot, made of iron and heavily decorated came in contact with a 133 kv overhead cable in Uttar Pabiacherra in Kumarghat. Parts of the Rath immediately caught fire and people fell on the road with their bodies on flame, Patnaik in a statement said Wednesday's Tripura incident was very unfortunate and he expressed condolence to the bereaved families. He wished speedy recovery of the injured persons. While six persons died due to electrocution on the spot, one died while being taken to hospital. Sixteen other people were injured in the incident.