Chaos erupts at Puri Jagannath Temple as devotees breach security barriers

Bhubaneswar, Jan 1: A chaotic scene unfolded outside the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, on Wednesday when devotees breached security barricades in their eagerness to enter the shrine for a darshan of the sibling deities.

Reports indicate that thousands of devotees had been queuing for hours since Tuesday night to receive blessings from the Trinity at the historic 12th-century temple. The line extended over half a kilometer from the temple to the Market Square. As the wait continued, frustrated devotees allegedly pushed past the security cordon, causing a surge of people to move forward aggressively.

This resulted in a stampede-like situation, with several individuals falling and being trampled. Thankfully, no fatalities were reported, although many suffered minor injuries and were assisted by fellow devotees.

This incident follows a similar occurrence near the temple’s entrance on Tuesday, where at least ten devotees reportedly fainted. The dense crowds and the pushing and shoving among devotees contributed to a tense atmosphere.