Day after stampede, thousands make beeline to have glimpse of sibling deities in Puri
In view of Sunday's incident, barricades have been erected in front of the Shree Gundicha temple and different queues made for the smooth darshan of the deities at 'Adapa Mandap' (the podium on which the deities are seated) situated inside the temple, a senior police officer said.
"We are alert... by the grace of the Lord, everything is running smoothly. Devotees are entering the Shree Gundicha Temple without any hassle," said Soumendra Priyadarshi, an ADG-rank IPS officer who has been assigned the responsibility of overseeing the police arrangement during Rath Yatra.
3 dead in stampede during Jagannath Rath Yatra in Odisha's Puri; Locals Blame Poor Management
He was assigned the task by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi after the stampede.
Devotees believe that they can wash away their sins if they have darshan of Lord Jagannath atop the 'Adapa Mandap'.
At least three persons, including two women, were killed and around 50 others injured in a stampede near Shree Gundicha temple in Puri on Sunday (June 29, 2025) morning during a ceremony related to the ongoing Rath Yatra festivities, officials said.
At least 3 killed, several injured in Puri's Jagannath Rath Yatra stampede
The incident took place around 4.20 a.m. when thousands of devotees had gathered near the chariots parked in front of the temple, they said.
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