The ongoing Rath Yatra festival in Puri, Odisha, witnessed a worrying turn of events on Tuesday when the idol of Lord Balabhadra fell on a group of servitors, injuring nine. The incident occurred during the ‘Pahandi’ ritual, a customary practice that involves bringing the deities down from their chariots to be taken to the Gundicha temple.
According to Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain, those carrying the idol, a heavy wooden structure, appeared to have lost control during the descent. Five of the injured servitors required hospitalization for treatment, while the remaining four sustained minor injuries.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed his deep concern about the incident and directed Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan to visit Puri immediately to oversee the situation and ensure proper medical care for the injured. The CM’s office also issued a statement wishing the servitors a speedy recovery.
The ‘Pahandi’ ceremony is a delicate and intricate process that requires immense skill and coordination from the servitors, who are traditionally known as ‘Deyaras’. Each deity – Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balabhadra, and their sister Devi Subhadra – has a designated chariot, and their descent follows a specific order. The mishap with Lord Balabhadra’s idol disrupted the planned flow of the ritual but did not halt it entirely. After a brief pause, the remaining ‘Pahandi’ rituals for all the deities were successfully completed, and the idols were taken inside the Gundicha temple.
The cause of the fall is yet to be ascertained. Temple authorities have initiated an investigation to determine the exact circumstances that led to the mishap. Speculation centers on the possibility of either human error or a technical malfunction with the chariot’s structure.
The Rath Yatra, also known as the Chariot Festival, is a highly revered Hindu pilgrimage in Puri. Every year, lakhs of devotees converge on the holy town to witness the majestic chariots carrying the deities traverse the streets. This year’s festival commenced on July 1st, with the ceremonial ‘Ratha Snana’ (bathing of the chariots) marking the official start of the nine-day celebration. The return journey, known as the ‘Bahuda Yatra’, is scheduled for July 12th.
While the incident cast a shadow over the festivities, the faith of the devotees remained unwavering. Many expressed their well wishes for the injured servitors and their hope for a smooth completion of the remaining rituals.
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