The chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings resumed their journey to the Gundicha Temple in Puri, Odisha, a day after the annual Rath Yatra festival began, following delays in rituals and adverse weather conditions.
July 16 will be the biggest and happiest day of the year in Puri, home to the magnificent Jagannath Temple.
One person died and many others fell ill in a temporary crowd surge during the Rath Yatra celebrations in Odisha's Puri on Thursday, official sources said.
From religious gatherings to public events, 2025 witnessed a series of stampedes and crowd-related incidents that exposed the fragile line between mass participation and human tragedy, leaving behind loss, questions, and urgent lessons on crowd safety.
The incident took place around 4 am when hundreds of devotees gathered near the temple to witness Rath Yatra festivities, Puri district collector Siddharth S Swain said.
Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani and his family members on Saturday attended the Rath Yatra in Puri and offered prayers. Accompanied by wife Priti, son Karan and other family members, Adani paid obeisance to Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath, by standing in front of their chariots near Gundicha Temple, considered the deities' aunt's house.
He said the government was also planning to bring uniformity in the height and facade of all buildings along the Grand Road.
The CM appointed Khurda district collector Chanchal Rana as the new collector of Puri.
The Jagannath temple has fostered Odisha's regional cooking styles and preserved local food traditions.
The reopening of the Ratna Bhandar became a major political issue during the recently held assembly elections in the state.
More than 600 people have visited hospitals and medical camps in Puri. However, only over 130 have been admitted to hospital, said Director of Health Services, Bijay Mohapatra.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other dignitaries greeted the people on Lord Jagannath's annual car festival.
An estimated 9 lakh devotees witnessed the world famous 'Ratha Yatra' of Lord Jagannath on Wednesday with religious fervour, enthusiasm and a spirit of camaraderie amid tight security.
The elaborate rituals, which commenced early in the morning, concluded after the three wooden chariots of Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Goddess Subhadra reached their destination at Gundicha Temple from Sri Mandir well before evening.
Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, along with his disciples, paid obeisance to the idols on their respective chariots.
Amid tight security, the century's first Nabakalebar Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath was held in Puri on Saturday with fanfare, religious fervour, enthusiasm and a spirit of camaraderie.
Over ten lakh devotees witnessed the world famous annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath held in Puri on Sunday with fanfare, religious fervour and enthusiasm amid tight security as the practice of people climbing the chariots was stopped in a major reform initiative.
