Puri: The world-famous Jagannath Rath Yatra, one of India’s largest and most revered religious festivals, commenced on Thursday in Odisha’s Puri, drawing lakhs of devotees from across the country to witness the grand annual procession of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra.
The centuries-old festival holds immense religious significance as it is the only occasion when the presiding deities of the Jagannath Temple leave the sanctum and travel through the streets of Puri, allowing devotees from all walks of life to seek their blessings.
During the Rath Yatra, Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Goddess Subhadra are ceremonially placed on three magnificently decorated wooden chariots, which are pulled by thousands of devotees amid chants, devotional songs and religious fervour.
The annual procession marks the sacred journey of the sibling deities from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple, where, according to tradition, they visit their aunt.
The yatra symbolises divine compassion, love and Lord Jagannath’s desire to come out among his devotees and bless them irrespective of social or cultural barriers.
Every year, the festival attracts an enormous gathering of pilgrims, saints and tourists from different parts of India and abroad, making it one of the country’s most significant religious and cultural events.
Keeping in view the massive influx of devotees expected during the festival, authorities have put in place elaborate arrangements to ensure smooth crowd management, security and the uninterrupted conduct of the yatra.
To facilitate the movement of pilgrims travelling to Puri, Indian Railways has also announced the operation of special train services on multiple routes during the festival period.
According to the Railways, the special trains will operate between Jagdalpur and Puri, as well as between Rayagada and Puri, providing additional travel options and easing passenger movement during the Jagannath Rath Yatra.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Police have put in place dynamic traffic arrangements, keeping in view the inflow and outflow of vehicles visiting Puri to ensure smooth traffic movement.
The police have installed 595 permanent and 1,050 temporary signages for public convenience.
This apart, more than 13,000 police personnel, along with an adequate number of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), will be deployed for security arrangements during the festival.
The Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy will also remain on alert to check any illegal activities through the coastal route.
On the other hand, as many as 19 senior IPS officers have been assigned the duty to supervise the overall security arrangements.
The state government has installed 473 CCTV cameras to keep a watch on the movement of devotees and 65 large LED screens to disseminate important information to devotees in Odia, Hindi and English.
Similarly, 16 permanent mobile towers and several temporary towers have also been set up to strengthen communication services.
Bulk messaging facilities will also be used to disseminate information.
