Puri: With Deva Snana Purnima just two days away, preparations for the Snana Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Sudarshan have entered the final stage in Puri. The annual festival, regarded as the first major event leading up to the world-famous Rath Yatra, will witness the deities being ceremonially taken from the Ratna Singhasana to the Snana Bedi in a grand Pahandi procession.
After the sacred bathing ritual with scented water, the deities will appear before devotees in the rare and revered Hathi (Elephant) Besha, a special attire that attracts thousands of pilgrims every year.
To ensure smooth conduct of the festival, Odisha Police will deploy 79 platoons of force across Puri. The security arrangement will include 15 officers of SP and Commandant rank, 30 Deputy Superintendents of Police, and around 340 officers of SI and ASI rank.
The entire city will be monitored through nearly 200 CCTV cameras, while plainclothes personnel and rooftop security teams will also be deployed. Authorities have laid special emphasis on crowd management, traffic regulation and maintaining discipline during the Pahandi procession and darshan.
Shree Jagannath Temple authorities said special measures have been taken to prevent devotees from touching the deities during the ceremonial procession. Sevayats have assured the administration that all rituals will be conducted in a disciplined manner to facilitate orderly darshan.
The special Basunga Pata, the traditional silk cloth required for the deities during the festival, has arrived from Athagada, officials said.
Barricades have been erected from the Shree Jagannath Temple office up to Market Chhak to regulate the movement of pilgrims. Ticket-holding devotees for the Pahandi will be allowed entry through the temple’s southern gate, while general devotees will enter through the Singhadwar, proceed to the Snana Mandap for darshan, and exit through the remaining three gates.
Devotees will also be able to have darshan of the deities at the Snana Mandap from the Grand Road (Bada Danda). However, authorities have prohibited standing anywhere along the Bada Danda during the festival procession.
The administration expects a massive influx of pilgrims for the Snana Yatra and has appealed to devotees to follow security and traffic regulations for a safe and orderly festival.
