In light of the massive influx of pilgrims crowding the holy coastal town of Puri for the ongoing Raths Yatra, Odisha’s Director General of Police (DGP), Y.B. Khurania, issued an advisory on Friday advising elderly devotees and people with health issues to avoid the visit.
Speaking to the media, Khurania also appealed to families to avoid bringing infants aged one or two years old to the festival for the darshan (viewing) of the deities, emphasising that the caution is strictly meant to safeguard young children from the overwhelming crowds.
He noted that the city’s main thoroughfare, the Bada Danda, is currently packed with hundreds of thousands of visitors arriving from all directions.
“The festival ambience appears cheerful and vibrant,” Khurania said.
The Odisha DGP further urged incoming devotees to regularly check and follow the police advisories issued from time to time. He added that comprehensive measures have been put in place to ensure smooth conduct of the Rath Yatra festival this year.
Simultaneously, the Puri district Police have arrested 103 pickpockets and recovered 203 mobile phones stolen from devotees as part of a special anti‑snatching drive during the ongoing Ratha Yatra festival.
In view of the massive surge in visitor numbers, local police have deployed intense security protocols alongside this specialized anti-crime drive to effectively curb pickpocketing, snatching, and other theft-related offenses.
During the Rath Yatra, special police teams have been conducting round-the-clock monitoring across high-risk zones, including Grand Road (Bada Danda), the surroundings of the Shree Jagannath Temple, the beach, transit hubs like the bus and railway stations, and major parking grounds. Authorities are using high-definition CCTV networks, advanced tracking technology, and real-time intelligence feeds to instantly spot and detain suspicious individuals.
Meanwhile, police has appealed the public to stay highly alert and safeguard their cash, mobile phones, gold jewellery, and other personal belongings while navigating the massive crowds.
The security warnings come as lakhs of devotees gathered on Friday to pull the grand chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra closer to the Gundicha Temple on the festival’s second day.
Chariot pulling had been temporarily paused by officials on Thursday evening out of caution for public safety, leaving the wooden structures stationary overnight. The deities, who spent Friday on their respective chariots allowing devotees an open viewing, are scheduled to be escorted into the Gundicha Temple on Saturday during the traditional Pahandi Bije ceremony.
