BHUBANESHWAR: Lakhs of devotees and tourists flocked to Orissa’s Jagannath Temple in Puri as the annual Rath Yatra or chariot festival which began on Sunday even as three people, including two minor boys, were killed and two minors were injured in separate incidents, police said.
One Sudhakar Swain, 61, died of a heart attack while watching the procession amongst a crowd in the temple town of Puri, a 14-year-old boy died after he came under the wheel of a chariot at Sunthipal village in Cuttack district.
The boy was identified as Trinath Rout, an official of the police headquarters at Cuttack, told IANS.
Another boy identified as Debabrata Mohanty, 14, died after coming under the wheel of a chariot at Talakurunia village in Balasore district. A 16-year-old boy has also sustained injuries during the festival at the same place, the official said.
In a separate incident, a 10-year-old boy sustained injuries after a wheel of a chariot rolled over his hand at Purunapani village in Sundergarh district, he said. The boy has been admitted to the local hospital for treatment.
The ceremonial procession of the deities known as Pahandi (carrying the deities out of the temple to the chariots) started at 8.35 am, a temple official said.
The festival marks the journey of three Hindu deities — Jagannath, brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra — from the 12th century temple, about 56 km from this state capital. They are carried in three splendid wooden chariots, pulled by devotees, to the Gundicha temple, about two kilometres away.
The devotees pulled the chariots with the help of ropes amid chants of hymns, dance and the rhythmic beats of traditional musical instruments.
The festival culminates nine days later when the deities make their way back home to the Jagannath temple in their return journey known as Bahuda Yatra. A glimpse of the deities on the chariot is considered to be very auspicious.
The state government has made elaborate arrangements in the town to prevent any untoward incident. Thousands of policemen have been deployed to maintain law and order. Closed circuit security cameras have been installed at various places to keep a watch on troublemakers.
Sniffer dogs, bomb detection and disposal squads and fire tender units have been stationed to meet emergencies, police said.
At least 56 special trains are running from different parts of Orissa, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh to meet the extra rush of passengers to Puri during the festival. (IANS)