NEW DELHI - At least three people were killed and many others reported injured early Sunday in a stampede that broke out in front of a Hindu temple in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, officials said.

The stampede took place early in the morning near Gundicha Temple in Puri, about 63 km south of Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha.

According to officials, the chaos unfolded when the chariot-pulling ritual began and all three chariots were parked in front of the temple. The devotees, eager to catch a glimpse of the deities atop the chariots, jostled and fell upon each other.

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Local media reports put the number of the injured at over 50.

In January, a stampede at the mega Hindu festival, known as Maha Kumbh Mela, left 30 dead and 60 others injured in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, according to the local government.

Last month, 11 people were killed and 50 others injured in a stampede outside a cricket stadium in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru, where thousands of cricket fans had gathered to celebrate their team's victory in a cricket league.