Puri: The heavy rain failed to dampen the spiritual fervour in Odisha’s Puri as the annual nine-day Rath Yatra of the sibling deities of Shree Jagannath Temple began on Thursday with the traditional Pahandi ritual of Lord Sudarshan, moving to the vibrant echoes of ‘Haribol’ and ‘Hulahuli’.
He was placed on Devi Subhadra’s chariot ‘Debadalana’.
Following the sacred Rath Pratistha Puja, the grand Pahandi ritual of Lord Balabhadra is currently underway. In keeping with ancient tradition, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath will follow in succession, making their solemn procession from the Srimandir to their respective chariots stationed on the Bada Danda (Grand Road).
Lakhs of devotees from across India and abroad have gathered in the holy coastal town to pull the chariots approximately 3 km to the Gundicha Temple, traditionally regarded as the birthplace of the Chaturdha Murti. The pulling is scheduled to begin around 4 pm after the ‘Chhera Pahanda’ ritual by the Gajapati Maharaja.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi reviewed administrative preparedness, emphasizing that the safety and convenience of devotees remain his government’s top priority. Concurrently, the Puri district administration, municipal authorities, and relevant departments have been placed on high alert following two reported COVID-19 fatalities in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. Furthermore, in light of the IMD’s weather forecast, the Chief Minister directed officials to ensure swift and effective water drainage across the entire city, with a particular focus on the Grand Road (Bada Danda).
Puri has received 216.8 mm rainfall in the past 45 hours.
Addressing the media, DGP Y B Khurania stated that a robust security blanket has been thrown over Puri, with 19 IPS officers and nearly 13,000 police personnel deployed for the festival. Additionally, 15 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces—including the CRPF, BSF, RAF, and NSG—have been stationed at strategic points to fortify security. “We are focusing on crowd control, traffic management and emergency response on the land, while drone and anti-drone devices will look after aerial security,” he said.
A total of 473 AI-powered CCTV cameras, integrated with drone-jamming systems, are monitoring the Grand Road and adjoining areas through two command-and-control centres located at either end of the Bada Danda. A joint patrolling system of the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and Odisha Police Maritime Station has also been set up in the sea, and QRT (quick response team) to be deployed on ships.
To manage the massive influx of pilgrims, To accommodate the massive influx of pilgrims, the administration has designated 36 parking zones for two- and four-wheelers throughout the town. Additionally, over 500 lifeguards and fire service personnel have been stationed along the beachfront to ensure visitor safety and prevent drownings.
