In Odisha, the state government has announced an ex-gratia of twenty-five lakh rupees to the next of kin of each deceased who died in a stampede that occurred early this morning. Three devotees, including two wome,n died and many others were injured near the Sri Gundicha temple at Saradhabali in Puri. The mishap took place when a massive crowd had gathered for darshan of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadras on their respective chariots. The injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals. Chief Minister of Odisha Mohan Chran Majhi has deeply condoled the death of the devotees and begged pardon from lakhs of devotees of Lord Jagannath for the unfortunate incident. He said his government will not tolerate negligence towards the safety of the devotees. Meanwhile, the Odisha government has transferred district magistrate and superintendent of police of Puri following the incident and ordered a thorough probe into the incident.

The chariots of Lord Jagannath and His divine siblings now stand before the Gundicha Temple. The deities are scheduled to enter the temple by this evening, marking the start of their nine-day sojourn. During this sacred period, they will reside at the Gundicha Temple before returning to the Shree Jagannath Temple on the same chariots during the Bahuda Yatra – the return journey of the annual Rath Yatra-on July 5.