Bhubaneswar: Amid an overwhelming influx of devotees to witness ‘Suna Besha’ (golden attire) of Lord Jagannath and siblings on Sunday, the authorities have made elaborate security and traffic arrangements for smooth conduct of the ritual.
During this significant ritual of the annual Rath Yatra festival, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath will be adorned in gold ornaments while seated on their chariots in front of the 12th century shrine in the seaside pilgrim town.
In view of the massive turnout of devotees from across the country and abroad, police have enhanced security, crowd management and traffic control measures. Police face a crucial challenge following the tragic deaths of three devotees in a stampede at Saradhabali in front of the Gundicha Temple June 29.
While around 205 platoons of police force have been deployed, five platoons are specifically assigned to safeguard the gold ornaments of the sibling deities on the chariots.
Director General of Police (DGP) Y B Khurania said devotees have been requested to follow advisories and maintain discipline and order during the darshan period. Like Rath Yatra and Bahuda, police will use drones and AI-powered cameras to control crowds and regulate traffic. Adequate parking lots have been created in and around Puri.
As part of the arrangements, police have issued a traffic alert on Sunday morning. The segregation of vehicles based on pre-issued passes has been temporarily suspended due to excessive inflow.
Vehicles entering the important transit points at Batagaon and Malatipatpur are experiencing waiting times of up to one hour. The police have urged visitors to remain patient and plan accordingly.
Further compounding the challenges, most of the designated parking zones in the pilgrim town have reached maximum capacity.
As per the latest updates from police, parking is now being facilitated only at Talabania and Sterling, subject to availability. Visitors have been advised to check space availability before proceeding to the temple zone.
Security forces and traffic personnel have been deployed in large numbers to manage crowd movement and ensure a smooth darshan experience for everyone.
In a post on X, the state police have appealed to devotees to cooperate with on-ground officials and maintain order. As the day progresses, the crowd is expected to swell further.
ସୁନେବେଶ ଯାତ୍ରା ସତର୍କତା, ସକାଳ ୭ଟା।
ମହାପ୍ରଭୁଙ୍କ ଦର୍ଶନ ନିମନ୍ତେ ରାତି ସାରା ଅଧିକ ଭକ୍ତ ପୁରୀକୁ ଆଗମନ ଯୋଗୁଁ ସହରରେ ଥିବା ପାର୍କିଂ ସ୍ଥାନଗୁଡ଼ିକ ପ୍ରାୟ ଭର୍ତ୍ତି ହୋଇସାରିଛି। ପାର୍କିଂ ସ୍ଥାନଗୁଡ଼ିକର ଉପଲବ୍ଧତା ଅନୁସାରେ ତାଲବଣିଆ ଏବଂ ଷ୍ଟର୍ଲିଂ ଆଡକୁ ଗତି କରାଯାଉଛି। ବାଟଗାଁ/ମାଳତୀପାଟପୁରରେ ଅପେକ୍ଷା ସମୟ ଅଧିକ…
— Odisha Police (@odisha_police) July 6, 2025
