A day after a tragic stampede near the Shree Gundicha temple in Puri that killed three people and injured about 50 others, thousands of devotees returned on Monday for a peaceful darshan of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra.
To avoid further incidents, the police have increased security and made special arrangements. Barricades have been set up outside the temple, and separate queues have been created to control the crowd entering the temple. The deities are currently seated on the Adapa Mandap inside the temple, where devotees believe a darshan can wash away their sins.
Senior police officer Soumendra Priyadarshi, who was specially appointed by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi after the Sunday stampede, said that everything is now running smoothly. “By the grace of the Lord, devotees are having darshan without any trouble,” he said.
The stampede happened early Sunday morning, around 4:20 am, when a huge crowd gathered near the chariots during the Rath Yatra celebrations. The situation quickly turned chaotic, resulting in the death of three people — including two women — and injuries to many more.
Despite the tragedy, faith remains strong. With tighter security and better arrangements in place, devotees continue to arrive in large numbers to seek the blessings of the sibling deities.
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