Every year in the coastal town of Puri, Odisha, an ocean of people gathers to witness something larger than life. The Rath Yatra — the grand procession of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra — isn’t confined to a single day or place. It begins much earlier: on rooftops where families watch the chariots being built, in crowded trains filled with pilgrims, in kitchens where prasads are prepared with care. Lakhs of devotees, some barefoot, some in tears, tug on thick ropes to pull three towering wooden chariots through the streets, their chants rising like waves.

But few know that for decades, this deeply spiritual journey carried an unseen risk.

These majestic chariots, each weighing over 40 tonnes, once had no brakes. Once they gained momentum, they wouldn’t stop easily. Even when hundreds tried to hold them back, they would........

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