Bhubaneswar, June 28: Leader of Opposition (LoP) and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday expressed serious concern over the “inordinate delay” in pulling Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosha chariot during Ratha Yatra 2025 in Puri.
In a post on X, Patnaik, without directly blaming the administration, stated that it was impossible to remain silent due to the mishandling of one of the state's most sacred events.
“We aren’t here to point fingers or blame the administration for yesterday’s inordinate delay in pulling the Nandighosha chariot. But it’s impossible not to voice our deep concern and anguish over how things unfolded during the most sacred event in our State,” he wrote.
Patnaik also reminded everyone of last year’s mishap during the Adapa Bije Pahandi ritual, when Lord Balabhadra’s idol slipped, a moment that deeply shaken many devotees.
“It’s hard to forget how, last year, Lord Balabhadra’s idol slipped during the Adapa Bije Pahandi—a moment that left countless devotees shaken. And now this year, we witnessed Nandighosha ratha still standing at the Singhadwar till 7:45 PM, only to move a few metres before the day ended. That understandably has left lakhs of devotees who came from all over the world to witness this unique event completely disenchanted and disillusioned. Hundreds of devotees also got injured due to poor crowd management,” he added.
Highlighting concerns over crowd management, Patnaik pointed out that hundreds were injured due to inadequate arrangements.
“All we can do is pray: May Mahaprabhu Jagannath forgive those responsible for this terrible mess that has overshadowed the divine festival. I hope this leads to deep introspection within the government,” Patnaik added.
It is worth mentioning that most rituals, including the Pahandi of the deities, were completed on time as planned by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on Friday. However, the pulling of the chariots was delayed, causing frustration among the devotees.
The chariots of Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra – Taladhwaja and Darpadalana – stopped midway, while Lord Jagannath’s Nandighosha chariot, barely moved a short distance from the Lion Gate (Singhadwar) before coming to a halt.
In response to media questions about the delay, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said on Friday that the chariots began moving at 4 p.m. after all the rituals were completed on time. However, problems at important turning points on the Bada Danda (Grand Road) and a much larger crowd of devotees – reportedly 1.5 times bigger than previous years – caused the disruption.
He further added that favorable weather conditions contributed to the higher turnout this year, making crowd control more challenging.
