Bhubaneswar: The world-famous annual Puri Rath Yatra festival began with the Pahandi Bije ritual for the divine siblings and other deities on Thursday. Lakhs of devotees gathered in the holy coastal town of Puri to witness the grand annual Rath Yatra.

During the Pahandi Bije ritual, the holy siblings, along with other deities, were escorted from the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple to their respective decorated chariots in a grand ceremonial procession. The deities were accompanied by the enthralling and divine sound of traditional musical instruments such as ghanta (gong), kahali (trumpet), and telingi baja.

The priests, chanting sacred Vedic hymns, and traditional Odissi artists, with their enthralling dance performances, welcomed the deities on their nine-day sojourn at the Gundicha Temple, believed to be their birthplace. Although the Pahandi Bije rituals began ahead of schedule, their completion was delayed by more than two hours on Thursday.

One person reportedly died due to suffocation in an alleged stampede-like situation during the Rath Yatra festival on Thursday in Puri, Odisha. However, there has been no official confirmation of the devotee’s death or the stampede-like situation so far.

According to the sources around 200 patients have so far been admitted to the hospital and temporary health facilities in Puri, complaining of suffocation and various injuries amid the unprecedented rush of devotees and incessant downpour.