🚨 A tragic incident occurred during the famous Chandan Yatra festival at the Puri Jagannath Temple, injuring 15 devotees. On Wednesday night, a firework mishap happened while devotees were gathered in large numbers to witness the festivities.
During the event at Narendra Pushkarini, some devotees set off fireworks, causing sparks to ignite nearby stored firecrackers. This led to a massive explosion, injuring several people. To escape the fire, some devotees jumped into the Pushkarini.
The injured were rushed to Puri District Hospital, with four in critical condition. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed deep shock over the incident and directed officials to provide the best medical care to the injured, assuring that all expenses would be covered by the state government from the CM Relief Fund.
Meanwhile, preparations for the Jagannath Rath Yatra are ongoing in Puri. The wheel installation ceremony for the chariots was completed smoothly on Wednesday. This ceremony, known as "Bovuri Yatra," marks the beginning of the Rath Yatra preparations, which started on Akshaya Tritiya. The chariots Nandighosh, Taladhwaj, and Darpadalan are being prepared meticulously, with the wheels now fitted onto the axles.
