An unidentified devotee died while 40 others sustained injuries as a stampede broke out during the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and his siblings in Puri on Sunday.

The incident took place around 5pm during the pulling of Taldhwaja, the chariot of Balabhadra, the elder brother of Lord Jagannath.

Susant Kumar Patnaik, who was on ambulance duty during the yatra, said: "A man suddenly fell down during the pulling of the chariot. Perhaps he felt suffocated. We took him to the hospital where he was declared dead by doctors. He appears to be from outside Odisha but his identity is yet to be established."

Sources said the injured were given first aid at the hospital and discharged.

The 2.5km-long Bada Danda (Grand Road) turned into a sea of humans as over 10 lakh devotees from across the country descended upon this holy town to witness the yatra. Chants of "Hari bol" and "Jai Jagannath" filled the air as devotional fervour reached frenzied heights with people singing and dancing ecstatically while pulling the chariots.

Dignitaries, including President Droupadi Murmu, sat on a specially erected stage nearby to witness the rituals preceding the pulling of the chariots.

The rituals for the Rath Yatra began early in the morning. Naba Jauban Darshan (the Lord giving darshan to the devotees after being in hibernation for nearly two weeks) and Netra Utsav (the festival of eyes) coincided with the yatra after 53 years. The servitors took care to ensure that all the rituals were completed in time.

The servitors carried the deities to the chariots from the sanctum sanctorum one by one in a ceremonial procession known as Pahandi Bije. The deities embarked on a nine-day sojourn to Shree Gundicha temple, their birthplace, about 2.5km from the main shrine.

The floor of the Singhadwara (Lion’s Gate) where the chariots were parked was decorated with rangolis. “I was elated. It took nearly three hours to do it,” said Namita Pradhan, one of the artists.

Dancers were seen performing in front of the chariots to the chants of Jai Jagannath. Some devotees dressed like Hindu gods such as Lord Shiva and Lord Hanuman danced in front of the chariots.

Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati came and performed his rituals on the chariots.

The first sevak of Lord Jagannath, the erstwhile king of Puri Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb, clad in spotless white, came on a tamzan (a palanquin with a hood) from his palace to the Singhadwara (about 100 metres away) in a royal procession and swept the decks of the three chariots — Taladwaja of Lord Balabhadra, Darpadalan of Goddess Subhadra and Nandighosh of Lord Jagannath — one by one with a golden broom.

“This is symbolic of the complete surrender of ego before the Lord. King or commoner, they are all equal before the Lord," said Ramakrushna Dasmohapatra, a senior servitor.

After the king performed the ceremonial Chhera Pahanra (sweeping the chariots), other rituals followed. Murmu bowed in front of the chariots as a mark of respect. Chief minister Mohan Majhi supervised the proceedings.

Despite the scorching heat, the enthusiasm was at its peak when the pulling of the chariots began. The first to roll was Taladwaja at 4.50pm followed by Darpadalan and Nandighosh.

"The sea of humans moved with the chariots that rolled on the grand road. A sight worth seeing,” said Nityananda Das an ISKCON devotee who came from the Netherlands to witness the Rath Yatra.

However, all the chariots stopped midway to Shree Gundicha temple. The chariots will be pulled again on Monday. The Rath Yatra is being held for two days after 53 years.

Considering that it is the first Rath Yatra on the BJP government's watch, Majhi took all steps to ensure that the event took place peacefully. The pilgrim city was wrapped by a thick security blanket that will be in place for the next few days.

The Bahuda Yatra or the return festival will be held on July 15.