Five Devotees Fall Unconscious in Puri Jagannath Temple Amid Heavy Rush

Puri: Five devotees, including three girl students from Bhadrak, fell unconscious due to the overwhelming rush inside the Sri Jagannath Temple on Monday. The devotees were quickly attended to and taken to the District Headquarters Hospital, where they received first aid and were later discharged.

The incident has highlighted the growing challenges faced by the Puri district administration in managing the massive influx of devotees visiting the sacred temple of Lord Jagannath, particularly during the peak festive season.

Despite a queuing system in place, the situation at Bhitarkath, a key area inside the temple, remains chaotic. The absence of a well-structured queue here often leads to disorder, as devotees jostle for a glimpse of the deities, making it difficult for the elderly and children to navigate through the crowd.

In response, the Sri Jagannath Temple administration is introducing a new system starting Tuesday. Devotees will enter through the Singhadwar (main gate) in an organized queue system, using barricades for better crowd control, while exiting through the other three gates. This system will be in effect from the early hours of December 31 until January 1. However, the movement of temple servitors and their families will not be restricted.

Additionally, the temple administration is enhancing the devotees’ experience by beautifying the temple entrance. Expert artisans are working on silver plating the arch over the Patitapaban image, a decorative effort expected to be completed by late December 31.

Despite these efforts, long queues remain a concern. Senior residents have noted that devotees often wait for hours in queues stretching over 1.5 kilometers, enduring harsh weather conditions. Many have fainted from exhaustion and suffocation by the time they reach Bhitarkath for darshan.

To ensure safety and smooth operations, Deputy Inspector General of Police Charan Singh Meena held a meeting with senior police officers on Sunday. Over 60 platoons of police personnel, including ten Additional Superintendents of Police (SPs) and 33 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), have been deployed to manage the security of the temple and the surrounding areas. The temple complex has been divided into four security zones, and the town is split into six zones to regulate the movement of devotees and control traffic.

A special police team has been assigned to monitor anti-social elements, including pickpockets and chain snatchers. An integrated control room has been set up to monitor the movement of devotees throughout the town. The police have also issued an advisory regarding parking arrangements and encouraged hoteliers to register with the SARAI app.

As the temple prepares for an even larger turnout in the coming days, both the administration and the police are working to ensure the safety and convenience of the devotees while maintaining order amidst the heavy rush.