Dikhyaa Mohanty 
During the Pahandi Bije procedure to transfer the deities to the Adpa Mandap in the Sri Gundicha temple, Lord Balabhadra’s idol fell, injuring more than seven servants of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri. The incident happened on Tuesday night during the procession of the gods Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra, and Balabadhra from their separate chariots in Pahandi to the Adapa Mandap. There are rumors that the sacred idol of Lord Balabhadra fell on the servitors as their legs slipped on the charamala (ramp). The ambulance that was stationed close to the chariots moved quickly to take the injured to the Puri hospital.
“Five servitors have been admitted to the hospital. Three to four more who sustained minor injuries are being brought to the hospital by the ambulance team. We have shifted all the injured servitors to the hospitals. The treatment is going on,” Puri Collector Sidhharth Shankar Swain said.
He continued, saying that things are normal now and that the Lord’s idol has been brought to the Adap Mandap. To assess the situation, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida and Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan hurried to Puri. The two ministers visited the wounded slaves and asked about their health at the hospital. Following their discussion with the servitors, the Law Minister declared that, thanks to God’s graces, all of the injured were unharmed. Such a serious accident has not happened. According to Harichandan, all of the ceremonies are proceeding as usual.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi instructed the Law Minister to visit the location after expressing sorrow over the event. The CM also wished for the servitors’ quick recovery.
