Puri: Thousand of devotees gathered in Odisha’s Puri on Wednesday to witness the ceremonial bathing ritual of the Lords of Shree Jagannath Temple on the occasion of Debasnana Purnima.
While elaborate security arrangement have been made with deployment of 70 platoons of police, three commandants and 450 senior officers for smooth conduct of the event, for the first time, an Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has also been stationed outside the 12th-century shrine.
The squad comprises urban warfare-trained commandos from Odisha Police’s special tactical unit. “To ensure utmost security during the sacred rituals, Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has been strategically deployed at Shree Jagannath Temple,” Puri Police posted on X.
According to sources, the ATS has been deployed near the shrine to enhance counter-terrorism measures in view of the ongoing tensions with neighbouring Pakistan and invitations sent to the President, Prime Minister, and Chief Ministers of different states for the annual Rath Yatra, slated for June 27.
“Their presence will supplement our overall security arrangements for Debasnan Purnima on Wednesday and Rath Yatra on June 27. Safety of the temple and devotees is our priority,” Puri SP Vinit Agrawal told TOI.
Earlier, Odisha Police had stationed Rakshak, a bullet-proof armoured vehicle capable of withstanding heavy artillery and explosives, outside the temple to respond swiftly to any contingencies arising from potential sabotage threats. Jagannath Temple was identified as a potential target after Intelligence suggested the possibility of drones and projectiles being launched from the western front to hit civilian and religious structures.
These apart, extensive CCTV surveillance with AI-enabled cameras is being done, focusing on crowd management, intelligence gathering, and securing Puri’s coastline against potential threats.
