Amid tight security, the three chariots of Lord Jagannath and his sibling deities are ready to roll along Puri's Grand Road on Thursday as the Odisha government braces for the attendance of lakhs of devotees for a possibly rain-soaked Rath Yatra. The temple town has been blanketed by a multi-layered security cover with the deployment of personnel from state police, central forces, Indian Navy and Coast Guard, while special focus is on crowd control, traffic management and emergency response.
CCTV surveillance to monitor traffic and crowd movement: Police
On security arrangements for the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra, Battula Gangadhar, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) for the Crime Branch says, "...An Integrated Command and Control Center has been established. We have implemented a CCTV surveillance system to monitor traffic and crowd movement across the entire city, covering all critical and sensitive areas. We are also using AI analytics and a Facial Recognition System (FRS). This enables us to manage the system effectively, ensuring smooth traffic flow as well as efficient crowd monitoring and regulation...The system incorporates machine learning, which means the data generated and the AI analytics capabilities will become stronger and more effective over time. It helps us track where people are coming from, which is particularly useful for managing traffic congestion during the Rath Yatra, and it also helps us identify potential suspects..."
Puri receives 143.8 mm of rain on eve of Rath Yatra
It should be noted that the temple town of Puri received a staggering 143.8 mm of rain on the eve of the iconic annual chariot festival and has battened down the hatches for heavy showers on Thursday as the weather department issued a red warning for heavy showers and thunderstorms.
Special arrangements have been made to drain out rainwater from the Grand Road and facilitate a smooth procession, as devotees pull the chariots along the thoroughfare from the 12th-century shrine to the Shree Gundicha temple, around 2.6 km away. Puri Collector DJ Parida said pumps were being used to drain out water.
A senior Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) official said the three wooden chariots -- Lord Balabhadra's 'Taladwaja', Devi Subhadra's 'Darpadalan' and Lord Jagannath's 'Nandighosh' -- have been taken to the Jagannath Temple's main gate for the procession.
"The administration is geared up for a smooth conduct of the annual Rath Yatra on Thursday with the involvement of different departments along with the central armed police, Indian Navy and Coast Guard," SJTA Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee told reporters on Wednesday.
He met Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati and apprised him about the preparations made by the temple administration for the smooth, safe and orderly conduct of the festival. The SJTA also invited the governor to attend the Rath Yatra in Puri on Thursday.
As many as 13,000 police personnel with 15 companies of the central armed forces, commandos of NSG, and 500 lifeguards on the sea beach have already been positioned, said ADG (Law and Order) Sanjay Kumar.
Devotees will begin pulling the chariots at 4 pm
According to the schedule, the rituals to bring the idols out of the temple and seat them on the chariots will be held between 9 am and 1 pm. Devotees will begin pulling the chariots at 4 pm after the traditional chariot sweeping by Puri's titular king Gajapati Maharaja and Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati's visit, a temple official said.
Multi-layered security plan in place for Rath Yatra: Police
Odisha police chief YB Khurania said a multi-layered security plan, including surveillance from land, water and air, has been put in place. "We will focus on crowd control, traffic management and emergency response on the land, while drone and anti-drone devices will aid in aerial security," he said, adding the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and Odisha Police Maritime Station's quick response teams will patrol the coast.
ADG Soumendra K Priyadarshi said special security arrangements have been made to avoid any stampede-like situations, while anti-sabotage teams, bomb squads, and canine squads have also been deployed. Last year, three persons were killed in a stampede during the Rath Yatra.
He appealed to all officials to perform duties not just as government staff, but also as a dedicated servitor to the Lord. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and many ministers are in Puri to monitor the conduct of the festival.
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