Puri: Lakhs of devotees thronged the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri since Tuesday night for the darshan of the Holy siblings and seek their blessings on the first day of the new year. The gates of the temple were opened at 12.30 am to facilitate darshan by the devotees.
In fact, Puri turned into a sea of people as people from all parts of Odisha and outside visited the Pilgrim City.
Anticipating the large gathering, the Puri district administration and the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) made elaborate arrangements to ensure a smooth darshan for the devotees.
According to Puri SP Vinit Agrawal, Puri Police have made extensive arrangements for the New Year. “While the temple is under strict security, a block-wise system has been implemented to ensure that no inconvenience is caused to anyone. The darshan has been going on smoothly,” he said.
The authorities have set up barricades from the Market Square to the temple to streamline the flow of devotees. Ambulance services have been made to deal with any health emergencies. The entire city is under surveillance with CCTV cameras installed at key locations.
Traffic regulations were meticulously planned, and parking arrangements were organised separately to manage the flow of vehicles into the city.
