Puri: With the New Year celebrations expected to draw massive crowd to Odisha’s Puri, the district police have begun extensive preparations to manage the surge of devotees visiting Shree Jagannath Temple.
Outlining the crowd management strategy, Puri Superintendent of Police Prateek Singh emphasising the need for strict entry and exit protocols at the 12th century shrine to ensure smooth and safe movement of visitors.
As part of the plan, devotees will be allowed to enter the temple only through the Singhadwara (Lion’s Gate), while the other three gates will be used exclusively for exit. To handle the festive rush, 60 platoons of police force will be deployed, along with enhanced traffic regulation and enforcement measures, the SP said.
The holding areas around the temple will be expanded to accommodate the anticipated crowd. Police estimate that the influx of devotees will start increasing from December 25, with the peak rush expected on January 1.
Ahead of the festival season, Director General of Police (DGP) Y B Khurania has already reviewed the arrangements, and a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for darshan is currently being finalised.
Barricading has already been extended up to Market Square to streamline the movement of devotees. The SP added that the barricades will be further extended if required. Additionally, six Quick Response Teams, along with fire and rescue units, will remain on standby to address emergencies.
