RSS English World News -- News, Analysis and Reflections

Tragedy Strikes Puri Rath Yatra: 1 Dead, Over 100 Hospitalized Due to Suffocation Amid Massive Crowd PURI: A wave of grief hit the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri today after a devotee died from suffocation and nearly 100 others were hospitalized with breathing difficulties during a stampede-like situation. The incident unfolded as lakhs of pilgrims squeezed onto the Grand Road (Bada Danda) to pull the sacred chariots. The sheer volume of people gathered near the Singhadwara (Lion's Gate) of the Jagannath Temple created intense crowd pressure, leading to a severe lack of oxygen in the dense throng. Suffocation and Quick Evacuations Witnesses reported that the atmosphere became incredibly hot and humid, causing several people to faint and struggle for breath. One devotee collapsed after experiencing severe breathing difficulties. Emergency rescue teams quickly evacuated the individual to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital, where doctors unfortunately declared them de...

  The Festival of Chariots: Inside India’s Massive, Ancient Street Celebration Imagine a street festival so massive that its central feature inspired the English word "juggernaut" —a force so huge and powerful that nothing can stop it. That festival is the Jagannath Rath Yatra (The Chariot Festival), and it is happening right now in the holy coastal city of Puri, Odisha, in eastern India. It is one of the world's oldest continuously celebrated festivals, drawing millions of people to a single street for a spectacular explosion of color, devotion, and sheer human energy. If you are looking at pictures of these towering wooden chariots today and wondering what it is all about, here is your quick guide to how and why it is celebrated. What is the Rath Yatra? In basic terms, it is a grand summer vacation for the gods. For the rest of the year, the deities— Lord Jagannath (a form of Lord Krishna/Vishnu), his older brother Balabhadra , and his younger sister Subhadra —stay...