Author: Akshay Published Date: 30 June 2025
Dawn Devotion Turns Deadly
As the first light touched Puri’s sacred chariots on June 29, 2025, Saradhabali Square near Gundicha Temple became a scene of horror. Thousands of devotees gathered for the “pahada bhanga” ritual – climbing the chariots for dawn blessings – when sudden chaos erupted. Within minutes, what began as spiritual ecstasy became a suffocating nightmare: elderly pilgrims trampled, women separated from children, cries for help lost in the cacophony.
By sunrise, three lives were extinguished, and over 50 injured lay strewn across the temple approach – six fighting for survival in ICUs. The Rath Yatra, Odisha’s holiest celebration, had witnessed its darkest hour in decades.
The Fallen: Faces Behind the Tragedy
Premakant Mohanty, 78
A retired schoolteacher from Bhubaneswar who has never missed a Rath Yatra since 1975. His family says he woke at 2 AM to secure a spot near Lord Jagannath’s chariot.
Basanti Sahoo, 42
A widowed mother from Bolagarh who sold handmade chariot replicas to fund her pilgrimage. Neighbors describe her as “the backbone of her family.”
Pravati Das, 36-52
Identity confusion persists, but multiple sources confirm a Balipatna woman perished shielding her teenage daughter from the crush. The daughter survived with fractures.
Over 50 injured included farmers, students, and a Jain monk – all drawn by faith, now united in trauma.
Anatomy of a Disaster: How It Happened
4:15 AM: Crowd density peaks at Saradhabali Square as the “pahada bhanga” ritual begins.
4:32 AM: Two trucks carrying sacred “Charamala” wood force through the packed area, triggering panic.
The Perfect Storm:
- Ritual Timing: The Holiest moment drew the maximum crowd
- Illegal Access: VIP vehicles breached restricted zones
- Police Absence: Critical security gap during shift change
- Environmental Stress: 98% humidity + 35°C “feels like” temperature
- Infrastructure Failure: No barricades at bottleneck points
Eyewitness account (Suresh Pradhan, 58): “The trucks were the spark, but the tinder was already there – people packed like grains in a sack, gasping in the heat.”
The Human Toll Beyond Numbers
Heat’s Hidden Impact:
The day before saw 750+ hospitalized for heatstroke – foreshadowing the crisis. At peak hours, the temple zone felt like 42°C with high humidity.
Critical Cases:
- 12 are still hospitalized from pre-stampede heat exhaustion
- 6 stampede victims on ventilators with crush injuries
- 40+ treated for fractures and trample wounds
Swift Action & Scapegoating?
Within hours of the tragedy:
✅ Puri’s DCP & Police Commandant suspended
✅ District Collector and SP transferred
✅ ₹25 lakh compensation announced for each victim’s family
✅ High-level inquiry ordered (Development Commissioner Anu Garg)
But critics note:
- No senior officer present during critical pre-dawn hours
- Compensation doesn’t restore lives
- The same failures occurred in 2018 (minor injuries) without systemic change
Political Fallout:
- Ex-CM Naveen Patnaik: “Glaring incompetence in crowd planning”
- Congress leaders demand international safety consultants for the Bahuda Yatra