Odisha: Stampede fails to dampen spirit of devotees as thousands make a beeline to Puri temple
People gather near the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra during the annual 'Rath Yatra' festival celebration, in Puri | PTI
Undeterred by the Sunday's stampede in which at least three persons lost their lives, thousands of devotees flocked to Odisha’s Puri this morning to have a darshan of the sibling deities—Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath.
Police have beefed up crowd-controlling arrangements in view of Sunday’s incident and erected barricades in front of the Shree Gundicha temple.
"We are alert... by the grace of the Lord, everything is running smoothly. Devotees are entering the Shree Gundicha Temple without any hassle," Soumendra Priyadarshi, an ADG-rank IPS officer, told PTI news agency.
Priyadarshi was given the charge of overseeing the police arrangement during Rath Yatra by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi after the stampede.
READ | How Puri stampede overshadowed Odisha CM Mohan Majhi's one-year anniversary in office
Police have made multiple queues to ensure the smooth darshan of the deities at 'Adapa Mandap' (the podium on which the deities are seated), an officer said.
At least three people died and over fifty others were injured in the stampede that took place near the Shree Gundicha temple, about three kilometres from Jagannath temple, at 4.20 am on Sunday.
According to reports, the chaos erupted after two trucks carrying materials for rituals entered the crowded spot near the chariots.
The stampede came a day after the Rath Yatra had to be stopped on Grand Road as Lord Balabhadra's Taladwaja chariot got stuck while negotiating a turn, preventing the other two from advancing.
READ | Rath Yatra stampede exposes BJP govt’s 'glaring incompetence': Naveen Patnaik
The incidents have put the ruling BJP on the defensive with the opposition BJD and the Congress attacking the government over its “blatant callousness”.
Former chief minister Naveen Patnaik alleged that the stampede had exposed the “glaring incompetence” of the state government in ensuring a peaceful festival for devotees.
India