Thousands flock to Puri to have darshan of Lord Jagannath on New Year

Bhubaneswar: Thousands of devotees from across the country on Tuesday thronged to the coastal city of Puri in Odisha to have darshan of the revered Lord Jagannath at the 12th-century shrine on the eve of the New Year.

The devotees believe that beginning the year with the blessings of the holy triad brings prosperity and happiness.

Expecting massive footfall at the holy shrine on New Year’s Day, the district administration and the temple authorities have made elaborate arrangements to manage the crowd and ensure a smooth darshan experience for the devotees.

The Puri district Superintendent of Police, Vinit Agrawal, on Tuesday, closely reviewed the arrangements for devotees at the Puri Jagannath Temple.

Speaking about the measures in place, Agrawal stated that the Puri Police have made extensive arrangements given the New Year. “The temple is under strict security arrangements. Devotees are allowed to proceed for darshan in an organized manner through the seven gates, and a block-wise system has been implemented to ensure that no inconvenience is caused. So far, the darshan arrangements have been running smoothly,” said the Puri SP.

“Additionally, barricades have been set up from Market Square to the temple to streamline the flow of devotees. Ambulance services are also available to handle any health emergencies promptly. The entire city is under surveillance with CCTV cameras installed at key locations. We extend an open invitation to all devotees for the New Year celebrations,” added Agrawal.

The devotees also expressed satisfaction over the arrangements made at the temple to ensure a smooth and hassle-free darshan of the holy triad.

Notably, the Odisha Police have also made elaborate security arrangements for the Zero Night and New Year’s celebrations in various cities across the state, especially in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

The Commissionerate police have deployed three additional DCPs, five ACPs, 24 inspectors, 88 SI/ASIs, and 36 sections of force to avoid any untoward incident during the zero-night celebrations.

An adequate number of forces and police officials will also be deployed at important places in the cities for New Year’s Day celebrations.

–IANS