Nine Injured as Lord Balabhadra's Idol Falls During Puri's Rath Yatra Festival

At least nine servitors of the Puri Jagannath temple were injured on Tuesday evening when the idol of Lord Balabhadra fell on them during the Rath Yatra festival, an official reported. The incident occurred shortly after 9 PM as the idol was being taken down from its chariot to the Gundicha temple, part of the 'Pahandi' ritual.

Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain confirmed that five of the injured were admitted to a hospital, while four others sustained minor injuries. The mishap was reportedly due to a problem with the rope-like material tied to the idol, causing those carrying it to lose control.

Despite the incident, two of the hospitalized servitors were later discharged and resumed their participation in the rituals. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed his concern and wished the injured a speedy recovery. He directed Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan to visit Puri immediately to take necessary actions.

Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida also visited Puri, joining Harichandan in visiting the hospital and speaking with the injured servitors. Harichandan reassured reporters, saying, "With the blessings of Lord Jagannath, all injured persons are doing fine and the rituals are also going on."

The rituals of the sibling deities - Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Balabhadra - resumed promptly after the incident, with all idols successfully brought inside the Gundicha temple. The deities will remain in the temple, considered their birthplace, until the ‘Bahuda Jatra’ or the return car festival on July 15, when they will be taken back to the Jagannath temple.