Bhubaneswar: If it was not for the service of hundreds and thousands of volunteers, men in uniform, paramedics, and good Samaritans, ensuring an incident-free Rath Yatra would not have been possible.
Standing guard, protecting and attending to a sea of devotees, the service of the aforementioned is integral to the smooth and seamless conduct of the world famous Car Festival.
A police sub-inspector from Bhadrak said that he has been assigned on Rath Yatra duty every year over the last two decades. “It is nothing less than the Almighty’s blessing that I get a duty near Nandighosha Ratha of Lord Jagannath every year,” he said.
Gopal Behera, a volunteer working with the Red Cross is watching the crowd with rapt attention as the devotees make their way towards the divine ropes and the chariots. “This is not just a duty for us, it means a lot more to serve the devotees of Lord Jagannath on a very special day,” he said.
A cleaning staff from Rourkela is deployed at ‘Bada Danda’, named Sashi Mahananda is happy to serve for 12 hours a day during Rath Yatra.
“It is a ‘seva’ for us, not routine work. The Lord does not differentiate between rich and the poor. All are same in the eyes of Lord Jagannath. It is a magical feeling to sweep the roads of the Bada Danda, as the chariots roll,” he said.
Under heatwave-like condition, it is not an easy task for the local administration to prevent unotward situations and attend to emergencies. The contribution of volunteers, policemen, para-medical staff, fire service personnel and many more, is invaluable in ensuring a seamless conduct of Rath Yatra.
