A stampede took place in Puri during the Jagannath Yatra, leading to three deaths and around fifty injuries.
On June 29, 2025 during the celebrations of the festival a stampede occurred at Saradhabali near the Gundicha Temple in Puri Odisha. As per the media reports, three devotees Basanti Sahu, Parvati Das and Premakant Mohanty died due to the stampede. Eye witnesses believed that the stampede occurred due to poor crowd management, lack of proper police deployment, organising new VIP entrances which led to further issues and even trucks blocked pathways which further accentuated the chaos.
The Jagannath Yatra is one of the biggest religious festivals in India, pulling in millions of pilgrims every year. With a crowd that size, solid planning and proper coordination are essential, especially for safety. In fact, even before the stampede, there had already been reports of severe overcrowding and medical emergencies caused by heat and lack of access.
With mounting pressure from the opposition and public criticism, the state government has taken action. Two senior officers were suspended, and two others were transferred. The government has also announced compensation of ₹25 lakh each for the families of those who lost their lives in the stampede. The enquiry into the incident is still ongoing.
“Due to the intense eagerness among devotees to have a glimpse of Mahaprabhu at Sharadhabali, an unfortunate incident occurred because of the resulting jostling and chaos. Personally, I and my government seek forgiveness from all Jagannath devotees. We express our condolences to the families of those devotees whose lives were extinguished at Sharadhabali and pray to Mahaprabhu Jagannath to grant them the strength to bear this profound sorrow. This negligence is unforgivable. An immediate investigation into the security lapses will be conducted, and I have directed that necessary steps be taken to initiate exemplary action against those responsible,”Chief Minister of Odisha wrote on X.
High-Level Inquiry and Commitment to Safety
After the incident, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi addressed the media, asking for forgiveness from devotees. He admitted that there were serious lapses in crowd regulation and said that the government would take steps to prevent anything like this from happening again. A full enquiry has now been launched to find out exactly what went wrong.
Additionally, CM Majhi has ordered a high-level administrative inquiry into the incident. The probe will be led by the Development Commissioner, and it will look into all aspects of crowd management, police deployment and emergency response preparedness during the Rath Yatra. Based on its findings, further disciplinary and corrective measures will be undertaken.
Describing the Rath Yatra as “a matter of Odia pride and cultural heritage,” CM Majhi reiterated that his government is committed to ensuring that such a tragedy never repeats. “Strict, exemplary, and transparent action will be taken against all officials or departments found guilty of lapses,” he declared.
In a touching appeal, the Chief Minister sought blessings from Lord Jagannath to grant strength to the families affected by this loss and to the devotees around the world who have been emotionally impacted by this incident. “We pray that the souls of the departed devotees find peace in the divine presence of Mahaprabhu Jagannath,” he said.
As the Rath Yatra festivities continue under increased vigilance, the focus has now shifted to ensuring the safety of the remaining procession days and restoring faith in the event’s management. The government has urged all devotees to remain calm and cooperate with the administration, while promising to uphold the sanctity and security of this grand spiritual tradition.
