Puri/Bhubaneswar ( Orissa): Over 8 lakh devotees thronged Puri to witness the Sunavesh of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra on Sunday amid tight security.

The Suna Besa ritual of the three deities placed on their respective chariots went off smoothly. The deities had completed their return journey (bahuda) from Gundicha Temple back to the Jagannath Temple after their annual nine-day sojourn yesterday.

At around 6 pm the servitors took out huge and heavy gold ornaments from the temple treasury and began dressing the lords on the Raths.

Rare and precious jewels were used in the Vesh (attire) of the deities that includes fixing of huge limbs like feet (sri payara), hands (sri bhuja), palms and giant gold tiaras (kiriti) and ear rings (kundalas) besides a number of jewel studded garlands.

Their weapons mace, chakra, conch and lotus, gold plough also figure in the dressing. It took a dozen dressers two hours to complete the decoration.

The people were allowed to view the Sunavesh from by 6 pm.

However, in a tragic incident a devotee from Bengal died late on Sunday near the chariots parked in front of the Jagannath Temple during the Suna Besha, police sources said on Monday.

The deceased was identified as Ranjit Singh alias Rana (40), a resident of Kulti College Square in Burdwan, Bengal.

Initially it was believed that Rana died in a stampede. However, the police said that the death was not due to any stampede. “The deceased suffered from chronic asthma. He apparently died of suffocation.

However, the exact cause can be known after the post-mortem reports are out,” said Puri chief district medical officer Trilochan Baral.

Puri SP Asit Panigrahi, who was present near the spot, denied that there was any stampede, though there was a huge rush of devotees.

Quoting the relatives of the deceased, Baral said a medicine specialist in Bhubaneswar treated Ranjit three days ago.

There is a belief that devotees achieve salvation if they catch a glimpse of the gods on this day. The three were before the public view today after they returned from their stay in Mausima temple, 3km from the Jagannath Temple in Puri.

Keeping view of stampede during Rathyatra, elaborate security arrangement was made during the Suna vesha. Policemen in plain clothes and bomb disposal squads were around to ensure safe conduct of the festival.