Jagannath Rath Yatra Stampede: Odisha Govt Shuffles Key Officials: Puri, Khordha Collectors Transferred; New SP Appointed

Stampede Near Jagannath Temple Kills 3; Puri Collector, SP Transferred in Administrative Overhaul.

Puri: At least three devotees, including two women, were killed and several others were injured early Sunday morning in a stampede at the Saradhabali area, near Gundicha Temple in Puri, reports Dynamite News correspondent.

The accident happened around 4:30 am, when three chariots carrying the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra were near the Sri Gundicha temple, about three kilometers from the Jagannath temple.

Puri Stampede Fallout | Major Administrative Shake-up

Odisha govt transfers Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain; Chanchal Rana (Khorda Collector) to take charge.⁰
SP Vinit Agrawal shifted as OSD, State Police HQ. Pinak Mishra appointed new SP, Puri.#Puri #Odisha #Stampede…

— Dynamite News (@DynamiteNews_) June 29, 2025

According to reports, a huge crowd had gathered near the Gundicha temple for darshan. As the crowd increased, some people fell, causing a stampede. Three people died on the spot in this accident.

Odisha Government Reshuffles Key Officials in Puri

The Odisha government has transferred Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain from his post. Chanchal Rana, currently serving as Khordha Collector, will assume charge as the new Collector of Puri.

In another major move, Puri SP Vinit Agrawal has been reassigned as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at the State Police Headquarters. Pinak Mishra has been appointed as the new Superintendent of Police (SP) for Puri.

IAS Aravind Agarwal Assigned to Oversee Rath Yatra Coordination in Puri

The Odisha government has appointed IAS officer Aravind Agarwal (2007 batch) to take charge of the overall supervision of the Rath Yatra, ensuring effective coordination and smooth management of the grand annual festival in Puri.

Puri Stampede Fallout | Major Administrative Shake-up

Odisha govt transfers Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain; Chanchal Rana (Khorda Collector) to take charge.⁰
SP Vinit Agrawal shifted as OSD, State Police HQ. Pinak Mishra appointed new SP, Puri.#Puri #Odisha #Stampede…

— Dynamite News (@DynamiteNews_) June 29, 2025

Deceased Identified

The deceased include two women—Prabhati Das and Basanti Sahu. Apart from this, 70-year-old Premkant Mohanty has also died. All three were residents of Khurda district and had come to Puri for the Rath Yatra. The condition of some of the injured is said to be critical.

The chariots were scheduled to reach the Gundicha temple by Friday evening but were halted on the Grand Road after Lord Balabhadra's Taladhwaja chariot got stuck at a turn, which prevented the other two chariots from proceeding further. Though most of the rituals, like Pahandi, were completed within the time set by the Jagannath temple administration, the chariot pulling was delayed considerably, leading to resentment among devotees.

The chariots (Taldhwaja and Darpadalan) of Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra got stuck midway, while Lord Jagannath's chariot (Nandi Ghosh) stopped a little ahead of Singhadwar.