Ahmedabad Rath Yatra: Elephants Panic Mid-Procession, Chaos Caught on Video

Three elephants in the Jagannath Rath Yatra procession got startled and broke formation, causing brief panic. No major injuries were reported. The incident has reignited debates about using animals in crowded festivals, with some suggesting relocating them to sanctuaries like Vantara.

What began as a routine part of the Jagannath Rath Yatra took a sudden turn on Friday morning when three elephants, part of the procession, got unsettled and broke out of formation. The scene turned tense for a few minutes as the animals moved off-course and created panic among devotees nearby.

The incident occurred during the early part of the yatra, somewhere near the Jamalpur stretch. Video clips now circulating widely show the elephants suddenly veering off course. Mahouts can be seen trying to manage them, but with hundreds of people around, what followed was a few minutes of complete confusion.

No serious injuries have been reported so far. A few people reportedly fell or got pushed while trying to run, but nothing major, according to local inputs.

Eyewitnesses say the elephants appeared nervous much before the incident. “They were moving their heads a lot, clearly uncomfortable. “One of them turned suddenly and started walking fast, like it didn’t want to be there anymore. After that, the others also got restless,” said a man who was standing close when the incident took place.

Soon after, conversations started online. A lot of people asked the same thing, "do animals really need to be part of such noisy, crowded events?" The videos left many uncomfortable, especially those who’ve been raising voices over animal welfare in public festivals.

“This is not devotion, this is distress,” one comment read. Another said elephants should not be part of any crowded urban procession anymore.

A few have even suggested moving the animals to places like Vantara, a wildlife care facility in Vadodara known for handling rescued or stressed elephants. So far, organisers haven’t responded. Authorities have also not issued a full statement yet, though officials were seen speaking to the mahouts after the situation was brought under control.