Stampede at Puri’s Gundicha Temple During ‘Pahad’ Ritual Leaves Three Dead, Over 50 Injured

News Flash

29 June

Crowd Surges for Early Morning Darshan Overwhelm Security; Victims Include Two Devotees from Near Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar/Puri: A tragic stampede broke out early Sunday morning in front of Gundicha Temple in Puri, claiming the lives of three devotees and leaving more than 50 injured during the commencement of the ‘Pahad’ ritual, part of the annual Rath Yatra festivities.

The deceased have been identified as:

• Basanti Sahu from Bolagarh,

• Premakant Mohanty and Pravati Das, both from Balipatna, near Bhubaneswar.

“Many of the injured have been admitted to the District Central Hospital and are currently under medical observation.”
said a health official from the hospital.

Rituals Amid Chaos

The incident unfolded as the ‘Pahad’ ritual—the ceremonial entry of deities into the temple—was about to begin. A massive crowd gathered in the early hours, causing a crush near the three chariots stationed outside the Gundicha temple.

Sources confirm that the chariot pulling had remained incomplete in the morning, and the chariots reached the Gundicha temple around 1:30 PM on Saturday. The temple administration had planned to perform the Adapa Mandapa BJ rituals on Sunday, keeping the deities on the chariots overnight.

Usually, the ‘Pahad’ ritual is not held at night due to the high influx of devotees. However, rumours spread that the deities would be available for early morning darshan, prompting a sudden rush of pilgrims.

“Crowd management failed to cope with the unexpected surge near the temple, causing panic and a stampede-like situation.”
a senior police officer stated.

Security Under Scrutiny

Preliminary reports suggest that the lack of sufficient crowd control measures around the parked chariots contributed to the chaos. Despite overnight crowd buildup, adequate barricading and regulation reportedly were not in place to handle the early morning influx.

Two of the deceased hail from regions near Bhubaneswar, underlining the regional impact of the tragedy.

“An inquiry will be conducted into the security lapses. Adequate compensation and assistance will be provided to the victims' families.”
a government spokesperson said.

Further details are awaited from the district administration, and a high-level review meeting is reportedly being convened.