Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra reappeared before devotees on Tuesday after a 14-day seclusion during the traditional ‘Anasara’ period, with thousands gathering at the Puri temple for the auspicious ‘Nabajaubana Besha darshan’.

Thousands of devotees thronged the pilgrim town for a glimpse of the sibling deities, but only a limited number could offer prayers as the temple administration restricted the duration of darshan due to ritual commitments, an official said.

According to the centuries-old tradition of the 12th-century Jagannath Temple, the deities remain in seclusion for a fortnight after the ‘Snana Yatra’, during which they are believed to fall ill following the ceremonial bathing ritual.

Their return in a youthful appearance is celebrated as ‘Nabajaubana Besha’.

Unlike previous years when devotees were allowed unrestricted darshan, this year’s viewing was kept brief to facilitate temple rituals.

The temple administration allowed ‘Paramanik Darshan’ (paid darshan) from 5 pm to 5.30 pm, followed by ‘Sahana Mela’ (public darshan) from 5.30 pm to 7.15 pm.

It was also announced that public darshan would remain completely suspended on Wednesday on account of ‘Ubha Amavasya’, in keeping with the temple’s traditional ritual calendar.

Elaborate security and crowd-management arrangements were put in place as large numbers of devotees gathered at the shrine.

General devotees were allowed entry through the ‘Singhadwar’, while ‘Paramanik’ devotees entered through the temple’s southern gate.

ADG Soumendra Priyadarshi said extensive security arrangements, including CCTV surveillance, have been made for real-time crowd and traffic management.

A public interest litigation (PIL) has been moved before the Delhi High Court seeking urgent directions to the Union Government and the Delhi Government to provide immediate medical treatment and life-saving intervention for climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar since June 28.

The matter is likely to be taken up today after the petitioner sought urgent listing, citing Wangchuk’s rapidly deteriorating health and an imminent threat to his life.

The PIL has been filed by advocate Rakesh Kumar Saini, who has urged the High Court to direct the authorities to ensure that Wangchuk receives immediate medical attention, initiate dialogue with him over the issues raised during his protest, and take all necessary steps to safeguard his life.

According to the petition, Wangchuk has lost around 8.25 kg during the hunger strike and is suffering from repeated episodes of low blood sugar, dizziness, severe muscle loss and weakness. Referring to a newspaper report published on July 14, the plea states that his condition has deteriorated to such an extent that his life could be at serious risk if the fast continues.

Seeking urgent listing, the petitioner submitted that the case concerns the life of a public activist on hunger strike and that the State has remained insensitive despite the alarming deterioration in his health. The urgency application states that immediate judicial intervention is necessary to prevent irreparable harm.

The petition states that Wangchuk, a climate activist from Ladakh, has been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28 in support of public demands and that no meaningful dialogue has been initiated by the authorities despite the prolonged protest. It contends that while peaceful protest and hunger strike are democratic rights, the State has a constitutional obligation to protect the life and health of every citizen.

The petitioner has further argued that allowing a citizen’s health to deteriorate without intervention would amount to a failure of the government’s constitutional and public duties.

The plea also refers to the provisions relating to abetment of suicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, asserting that the authorities cannot remain passive spectators when a person’s life is in imminent danger.

The PIL prays for directions to the respondents to immediately provide Wangchuk with appropriate medical care, hold discussions with him on the issues raised during the protest, and, if necessary, administer vital liquid nutrition, proteins, vitamins and other essential medical support to arrest the deterioration of his health. It also seeks any other relief that the High Court may deem fit in the interest of justice.

However, whether the matter is taken up today remains uncertain as the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) has called for abstention from work on July 15 in protest against the proposed enhancement of the pecuniary jurisdiction of district courts from Rs 2 crore to Rs 10 crore.

The Association has requested its members not to appear before any court of the Delhi High Court, either physically or virtually, and has also announced that bar rooms, the cafeteria and other facilities will remain closed.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday criticised the Maharashtra government over the cancellation of the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2026 following an alleged paper leak, alleging that around six lakh candidates have been left “in limbo” with no fresh examination date announced even two weeks after the cancellation.

In a post on X, the LoP wrote, “Maharashtra TET paper leaked, exam canceled. 6 lakh candidates left in limbo. Two weeks have passed, no trace of a new date.”

“The leakers roam free, the system remains spotless, and the one paying the price is the one who toiled with honesty,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi alleged that those responsible for the paper leak had not faced action, while students and aspirants who had prepared for the examination were suffering due to the disruption.

“These are the country’s working and future teachers, the ones who hold India’s future in their hands these are the very people who prepared year after year, filled out forms, paid fees, traveled to far-flung centers. And now they’re just waiting, without a date, without answers,” he wrote.

Market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty declined in early trade on Tuesday dragged by a sharp rally in crude oil prices due to the renewed flare-up in West Asia.

Fresh foreign fund outflows and a weak trend in global peers also put pressure on the markets.

The 30-share BSE Sensex dropped 552.99 points to 77,063.41 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty declined 160.45 points to 24,050.55.

From the Sensex pack, InterGlobe Aviation, HCL Tech, Bajaj Finance, Mahindra & Mahindra, UltraTech Cement and Larsen & Toubro were the biggest laggards.

Bharti Airtel, Tata Consultancy Services, Adani Ports and Tata Steel were among the winners.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, quoted 1.63 per cent higher at USD 84.60 per barrel.

“There are some headwinds blowing again which might impact the Indian market in the near-term. The escalation of US-Iran conflict has pushed Brent crude to USD 84. If this spike continues it will again start impacting India’s macros,” VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited, said.

In Asian markets, South Korea’s Kospi traded 3.71 per cent lower. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index, Shanghai’s SSE Composite index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index were also quoting lower.

US markets ended in negative territory on Monday.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 3,062.27 crore on Monday, according to exchange data.

On Monday, the Sensex went up by 47.01 points, or 0.06 per cent, to settle at 77,616.40. The Nifty eked out a marginal gain of 4.10 points, or 0.02 per cent, to end at 24,211.

Police have registered a case against two officials of a private energy company in connection with the collapse of a three-storey building at the waste-to-energy project in Pune district which killed nine persons, officials said on Tuesday.

Ashok Gupta, project head of Antony Lara Renewable Energy Pvt Ltd, and Vijay Sapkal, the safety officer at the plant, have been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 105 (culpable homicide that does not amount to murder), 125 (rash or negligent act that endangers human life) and other relevant provisions, they said.

The company operated the facility at Moshi in Pimpri Chinchwad where the incident occurred on July 8.

The complaint, registered by Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) officials, stated that no safety measures were taken despite knowing that the heavy rains could pose a danger to the sanitary landfill (SLF) at the location.

“As no security measures were adopted, a portion of SLF (mound of legacy waste) collapsed on the three-storey building on July 8, claiming nine lives,” the FIR states.

The three-storey administrative building of a waste-to-energy plant run by the PCMC collapsed after the mound of garbage crashed onto the structure like a landslide, killing nine individuals.

On Monday, the civic body stated that a preliminary inquiry into the incident showed that an occupancy certificate had been issued only for the ground floor on the firm’s request.

The Maharashtra government has constituted an independent high-level technical inquiry committee to investigate the incident, PCMC Commissioner Dr Vijay Suryavanshi said.

The company prima facie failed to ensure safety at the plant despite continuous heavy rainfall and did not take adequate precautions even though a massive mound of legacy waste was located adjacent to the residential building that collapsed, he said.

Suryawanshi said the Urban Development Department has appointed an independent committee to conduct a “fair and comprehensive technical inquiry” into the incident and recommend measures to prevent such accidents in future.

The committee will be headed by Divisional Commissioner Sheetal Teli-Ugale and includes the regional officer of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, DN Singh of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay’s structural engineering department, and environmental and solid waste management expert Anil Kumar Dixit.

The assistant commissioner (disaster management) will serve as the member secretary, the civic chief said.

“The government has constituted a completely independent committee to investigate the incident and suggest measures to prevent such incidents in future,” Suryawanshi added.