Thousands of devotees flocked to visit Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra and Lord Jagannath on Tuesday, a day after three people died and 50 others were injured in a stampede near Sri Gundicha temple in Puri.
A senior police officer said that barricades have been installed in front of Shri Gundicha Temple in view of Monday’s incident and separate queues have been made for the smooth darshan of the gods in the ‘Adapa Mandapa’ (the stage where the gods sit).
ADG rank IPS officer Soumendra Priyadarshi, who has been entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing the police system during the Rath Yatra, said, “We are cautious … Everything is running smoothly by the grace of God. The devotees are entering the Shri Gundicha temple without any trouble.”
After the stampede, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi assigned this task to him.
Devotees believe that if they see Lord Jagannath over the ‘Adapa Mandapa’, then their sins are washed away.
Officials said that during the ceremony related to the ongoing Rath Yatra festival near the Sri Gundicha temple in Puri on Sunday morning, a stampede was killed and about 50 others were injured in a stampede.
He said that the incident took place at around 4.20 am when thousands of devotees gathered near the chariots standing in front of the temple.
