Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a letter as well as the traditional offering (prasad) of green gram (moong), blackberries (jamun) and mangoes to the Jagannath temple on Friday, on the occasion of Lord Jagannath ” s 138th Rath Yatra (chariot procession ritual) to be held on Saturday.
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The chariots started their 14-km journey after the Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel performed “Pahind Vidhi”, a symbolic ritual of cleaning way for the Raths, at 400-year-old Jagannath temple in Jamalpur area.
While the Taladhwaja chariot of Lord Balabhadra had arrived at Saradhabali yesterday, the chariots of the Devi Suvadra and Lord Jagannath were halted at at Badasankha and Balagandi respectively as the evening set in.
Bhubaneswar, July 18 (IANS) Two women were killed and 10 other people were injured in a stampede during the Rath Yatra in Odisha’s temple city of Puri on Saturday, police said. The annual festival, which has been celebrated for the past 1,000 years, attracts millions of visitors from across the world.
This being the year of Nabakalebar, which means old idols of the deities have been replaced with the new ones, devotees wanted to catch the first glimpse of the new idols. “We saw the crowd trying to move away when the chariot approached and they crushed some people under them”, said an eyewitness near Marichkote lane. “Precautionary measures have been taken to stay away from any rush like circumstance”, IGP and officer on exceptional obligation Soumendra K Priyadarshi said. Similar minor stampede had also taken place during the 2010 and 2011 events, killing two and one devotees, respectively.
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The city, which is infamous for a history of communal riots, is witnessing Eid-ul-Fitr and Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra simultaneously after around 30 years and followers of both the religions have pledged to avoid any untoward eventuality during the celebrations. Personnel of Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS), Rapid ActionForce (RAF) and sharp shooters were deployed at vital points while the Coast Guard kept a vigil on the sea. The three chariots belong to Lord Jagannath, Lord Balram and Goddess Subhadra.
