Women carry trays of offerings as they wait to participate in the annual Rath Yatra, or chariot festival, in Kolkata yesterday.

IANS/Bhubaneswar


Two women were killed and 10 were injured in a stampede during the Rath Yatra (chariot festival) in Odisha’s temple city of Puri yesterday, police said.
The stampede occurred during the pulling of the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra between the Market and Balagandi Chhaks areas.
“We came to know from hospital sources that one woman, about 65 years old, was killed while some have sustained serious injuries,” Director General of Police Sanjeev Marik said.
Later, police said another woman had also died in the incident.
The police chief said two critically injured people were taken to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, while the others were taken to a hospital in Puri.
Meanwhile in Kolkata, thousands of people from across the world pulled decked-up chariots during the annual festival.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee paid obeisance to Lord Jagannath at the start of the Rath Yatra at the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple on Albert Road.
Banerjee flagged off the festival with a tug on the rope as believers sang and danced all the way through to the rhythmic beats of cymbals and drums.
“This year #NabakalebaraRathaJatra is being celebrated. This is very special. Let us maintain communal harmony during festivals,” Banerjee tweeted.
Devotees from 100 countries, including the US, Italy, France, Malaysia and Singapore descended on the eastern metropolis to celebrate the festival.
Celebrities from the regional film industry including actor and Trinamool Congress MP Dev and actress Koel Mullick also participated in the gaiety.
The chariots will be pulled through Minto Park, Sarat Bose Road, Hazra Road, Hazra crossing, Ashutosh Mukherjee Road, Exide crossing, J L Nehru Road before being parked at Brigade Parade Ground on Outram Road.
The chariots would be kept at the ground for the next seven days before making the return journey or Ulta Rath on July 26 that would mark the end of the festival.
Cultural programmes would include shows by Dona Ganguly’s dance troop and performances from foreigners.
IIT Kharagpur students will also hold classes on reducing stress and mental fatigue, and stalls will be set up for married couples and others who could ask questions about their day-to-day problems.
In New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he hoped the lord’s blessings would spread unity and joy in society.
“On this blessed day of Rath Yatra, my warm greetings to all of you. This tradition is celebrated across India with great enthusiasm and is now known all over the world,” Modi said in a message.
“We pay our obeisance to Lord Jagannath, who embarks on his chariot and blesses people. With the blessings of Lord Jagannath, may the spirit of sadbhavana, unity and joy be furthered in society,” he added.