The seaside pilgrim town of Puri is prepared for the smooth conduct of Lord Jagannath’s annual Rath Yatra festival, which, for the first time in 53 years, will span two days.
In addition to the large number of devotees, President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to witness the Rath Yatra on Sunday. Special arrangements have been made by the state government for her visit. Officials mentioned that the Odisha government has put extensive measures in place to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival, which is usually a one-day event. Due to some celestial arrangements, the Rath Yatra will now be a two-day event, a situation last seen in 1971.
Departing from tradition, some rituals involving the three sibling deities—Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Balabhadra—will be conducted on a single day, Sunday. The chariots, currently parked in front of the Lion’s Gate of the Jagannath temple, will be pulled by devotees to the Gundicha temple, where they will remain for a week.
This year, the Rath Yatra, along with rituals such as ‘Nabajouban Darshan’ and ‘Netra Utsav,’ will take place on Sunday. These rituals, typically held before the Rath Yatra, include the ‘Nabajouban Darshan,’ which symbolizes the youthful appearance of the deities who were in a 15-day quarantine following ‘Snana Purnima.’ According to mythology, the deities fall ill due to excessive bathing on ‘Snana Purnima’ and remain indoors thereafter. Prior to the ‘Nabajouban Darshan,’ priests carry out ‘Netra Utsav,’ during which the deities’ eyeballs are newly painted.
The state government has ensured elaborate arrangements for the festival’s smooth and timely conduct. Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain expressed confidence that, with cooperation from all stakeholders and the blessings of Lord Jagannath, all rituals will proceed as scheduled.
Puri Superintendent of Police Pinak Mishra stated that 180 platoons of security personnel from both state and central governments have been deployed to manage law and order and control the crowds during the festival. Additionally, AI-based CCTV cameras have been installed at Badadanda, the festival’s venue, and other strategic locations in Puri, as per ADG (law and order) Sanjay Kumar.
Special security measures have been arranged for the President’s visit. A VIP zone has been designated for the Odisha governor, chief minister, Union ministers, and other dignitaries, while a buffer zone has been set aside for the President. A dedicated team, led by a senior SP rank officer, has been formed to oversee President Murmu’s visit.
