The Odisha government expects 10 lakh pilgrims to gather at the temple town this year
INDIAN RAILWAYS UPDATE: The railways will be running 205 special trains for the Rath Yatra in Odisha’s Puri on July 1, an official of the East Coast Railways (ECoR) said on Monday. The Odisha government expects 10 lakh pilgrims to gather at the temple town this year. In 2020 and 2021, devotees were not allowed to participate in the festival of Lord Jagannath due to the pandemic, and only servitors took part in the rituals.
Read More: Is July 1 a Bank Holiday? Banks to Remain Closed for 14 Days in July; Check Full List
The special trains will be run from Shalimar near Kolkata, Jagadalpur in Chhattishgarh and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, besides different parts of Odisha, connecting Puri, the official said. Arrangements have been made for facilitating easy movement of passengers on the days of Ratha Jatra, Bahuda Jatra, Sandhya Darshan and Suna Bhesa, he said.
SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS PUT IN PLACE
Adequate number of police personnel is being mobilised in the town so that the devotees can have safe darshan of the deities, Odisha DGP Sunil Bansal said on Monday after holding a meeting to review security arrangements for the festival.
As the Jagannath temple in Puri is classified as a category-A temple as terrorist threat are concerned, anti-sabotage and metal detector checks will be put in place near the temple and the chariots, he said.
Read More: Credit Card, Income Tax Rules, TDS on Crypto: 5 Finance Rule Changes From July 1
Bomb disposal squad, anti-terrorist squad and special tactical units will be deployed at strategic locations in the town, said a police official.
For smooth flow of traffic, Puri town has been divided into 10 zones and 29 sectors. Adequate parking facilities have been made for two-wheelers and four-wheelers, he said.
Patrolling will be done till 12 nautical miles in sea and the Indian Coast Guard has been asked to remain on alert during the Rath Yatra, the official added.
(With inputs from IANS)
