3 min readPuriJul 17, 2026 03:52 AM IST
First published on: Jul 16, 2026 at 05:46 PM IST
At least two men died and over 100 were hospitalised following an “unprecedented rush” of devotees during the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri on Thursday, officials said.
The two men who died were aged 60 and 35. Officials said the 60-year-old collapsed during the rush, after which he was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The exact cause of his death remains to be ascertained. The 35-year-old man suffered a cardiac arrest and died despite receiving immediate medical attention, the officials said.
As many as 100 devotees were admitted to the district hospital in Puri with injuries and other medical issues due to the commotion, officials said, adding that all those hospitalised were in stable condition.
The state government had deployed nearly 12,000 police personnel, 19 senior IPS officers and over 100 senior administrative officers, and sought “proper coordination and seamless communication” among inter-departmental agencies, in an effort to ensure a safe and incident-free Rath Yatra as Puri prepared to welcome lakhs of devotees from across the globe for the nine-day festival that started on Thursday. Nearly 30 lakh devotees from India and abroad are expected to visit Puri during the course of the festival.
Despite persistent rain and inclement weather, an estimated 8- 9 lakh devotees had arrived in Puri to witness the Rath Yatra, during which the sibling deities, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, are believed to embark on an annual sojourn from their 12th-century temples to Gundicha Temple. Devotees pull three large decorated chariots to mark the day. The Bahuda Yatra, scheduled for July 24, marks their return.
Well managed: CMO
A statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office claimed the overall conduct of the festival was peaceful, orderly and well managed. It said there was no stampede incident or any systemic breakdown of crowd management. According to the statement, the coordinated efforts of the administration, security agencies, servitors and volunteers ensured the uninterrupted movement of devotees.
“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. The injured were immediately evacuated by the deployed personnel and shifted to the hospital without delay,” said a senior officer.
The chief administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Arvind Padhee, said the pulling of chariots, which was delayed and could not be completed on Thursday, would resume at 9.30 am on Friday.
An injured person being carried out of the crowd during the Jagannath Rath Yatra. (PTI Photo/Enhanced by AI) 
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