More than one million devotees were participating in an annual religious procession outside the temple of Jagannath, who is considered by Hindus to be the lord of the universe.

The temple is in Puri, a town 40 miles southwest of Bhubaneshwar, the capital of Orissa state.

Police inspector JK Panda says the stampede occurred as the worshippers pressed forward to touch the statue of the goddess Subhadra, which was being carried in a chariot.

He said 11 people had been hospitalised and two of them were in critical condition.

The temple rituals continued after the stampede.