Bhubaneswar. The Odisha government on Thursday clarified that the Puri Rath Yatra 2026 was conducted in a peaceful and well-organized manner despite continuous torrential rains and huge crowd. Although the death of two devotees was confirmed during this period, the administration clearly said that no incident of any kind of stampede or failure in crowd management was reported.
According to the official statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), around 8 to 9 lakh devotees from across the country and abroad including Odisha participated in the annual Rath Yatra held this year. Even the heavy rain that continued throughout the day could not dampen the enthusiasm and faith of the devotees, which demonstrated their deep religious devotion.
Fatigue, dehydration, suffocation and other common health problems were observed among many devotees due to the huge crowd and adverse weather conditions. The relief and medical teams deployed by the administration showed promptness and immediately evacuated seven sick devotees from safe places to the hospital.
Of these, a male devotee aged above 60 years died, although the exact cause of his death is not yet clear. In another separate incident, a male devotee aged above 35 years died of cardiac arrest even though he was provided immediate medical attention. Apart from this, several other devotees affected by the rain were treated and discharged safely.
The CMO reiterated in his statement that neither any incident of stampede nor any deficiency was found in the crowd control system during the entire event. Coordinated efforts between the administration, security forces, services and volunteers kept the movement of devotees smooth and orderly. According to officials, the situation remained normal throughout the event and all essential services operated effectively.
The state government had made extensive and multi-level preparations for the successful conduct of the Rath Yatra. Several agencies including Police, Health Department, Fire Service, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Transport, Municipal Administration, Public Health Engineering and Energy Department worked together in this event.
24-hour surveillance, deployment of adequate security forces, CCTV surveillance, public address system, traffic control, sanitation arrangements, drinking water facilities, emergency response teams and strong medical arrangements played an important role in ensuring the safety and convenience of the devotees.
Expressing his gratitude for the services, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi thanked lakhs of devotees for their patience, discipline and cooperation. He said that due to the collective efforts of everyone, this huge event could be conducted successfully and peacefully.
The Chief Minister also reiterated that the State Government is committed to further strengthen the infrastructure, public services and administrative preparedness for events like Rath Yatra in future, so as to provide a safe, dignified and convenient experience to the devotees.
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