At least six girl students were hospitalised after being injured in a stampede-like situation at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, police said.

The condition of the girls is stated to be stable.

The students, part of a 70-member group of boys and girls from Hrudananda High School in Rasgovindpur area of Mayurbhanj district, had come to Puri on Monday for a picnic during the Christmas holidays, a police officer said.

The students were at the sea beach throughout the day, and went to visit the 12th-century shrine in the evening before returning home, he said.

While climbing the 22 steps ('Baisi Pahacha') to the temple around 8 pm, the girls were caught in a stampede-like situation and fainted, a temple office-bearer said.

There were a large number of visitors to the temple during the day.

The injured girls, students of classes 9 and 10, were later rescued and admitted to a local hospital.