Three legendary wooden chariots stand ready to roll along the famous Grand Road in the coastal temple town of Puri for Thursday’s annual Ratha Yatra of Lord Jagannath and his sibling deities – Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, with the Odisha government on high alert to ensure the smooth conduct of the mega festival.
An official from the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) stated that the construction and decoration of the three massive chariots – Lord Balabhadra’s ‘Taladwaja’, Devi Subhadra’s ‘Darpadalan’, and Lord Jagannath’s ‘Nandighosh’ – are fully complete, and they have been positioned outside the ‘Singhadwar’ (Lion’s Gate) of the historic 12th-century temple after receiving the sacred ‘Agnyamala’ (garland from the deities indicating permission).
The towering structures are standing under tight security along the Grand Road infront of the temple, where lakhs of devotees from across India and around the globe are converging to witness the historic chariot-pulling ceremony on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee, said, “By the grace of Mahaprabhu (Lord Jagannath), the administration is fully prepared to conduct the annual Rath Yatra on Thursday. Different government departments are involved in the preparation along with the central armed police, Indian Navy, Coast Guard, apart from Odisha Police. All arrangements are in place to make the mega event successful.”
ADG (Law and Order) Sanjay Kumar informed that as many as 13,000 police personnel alongside 15 companies (roughly 1,500 personnel) of the central and armed forces, including elite NSG commandos, the Rapid Action Force (RAF), CRPF, and BSF, have already taken positions, while 500 trained lifeguards have been stationed along the town’s sea beaches.
Following the completion of sacred morning rituals, the actual pulling of the deities’ chariots is scheduled to commence at 4 PM, immediately after the traditional ‘Chhera Pahanda’ (the ceremonial sweeping of the chariots by the Gajapati Maharaja) and a visit by Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, a temple representative stated, adding that around 100,000 pilgrims have already reached the holy town.
Odisha DGP Y B Khurania said a comprehensive, multi-tiered security blueprint covering land, water, and air surveillance for the annual festival. “Our primary focus for this edition is crowd control, smooth traffic management, and rapid emergency responses on the ground, supplemented by drone and anti-drone technology to secure the airspace,” he explained.
A joint maritime patrol involving the Indian Navy, the Indian Coast Guard, and the Odisha Police Maritime Station has been deployed off the coast, with Quick Response Teams (QRTs) stationed aboard vessels in the sea, officials said.
The top cop also mentioned that specialised emergency response vehicles have been positioned adjacent to the temple complex to handle any unforeseen incidents.
ADG Soumendra K Priyadarshi added that security arrangements have been made to prevent stampede-like situation, featuring designated rest areas for the police force, dedicated orderly carriages, barricading arrangements, swift grievance resolution systems run in coordination with local authorities, and managed pathways for smooth deity viewing (‘darshan’).
Police drones, anti-sabotage teams, bomb squads, and dog squads are also deployed.
Meanwhile, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting heavy rainfall and thunderstorms, special emergency measures have been rolled out to quickly clear water accumulation from the Grand Road.
The weather agency has sounded a “red warning” (take action) for Puri, which logged a staggering 143.8 mm of rainfall in the 24-hour (till 8:30 AM) on Wednesday.
In view of the extreme weather forecast, the Puri district administration ordered the closure of all educational institutions, including private schools, on Wednesday.
In a special weather advisory active from 10 AM to 4 PM for Puri town, the IMD’s regional centre in Bhubaneswar warned pilgrims to remain alert during lightning and thunderstorm conditions.
Furthermore, medical experts and authorities have advised elderly devotees, young children, and those with health conditions to avoid staying out in the rain or entering extremely crowded areas for prolonged periods.
To accommodate the massive influx of visitors, the Indian Railways will run more than 300 special trains to Puri, while the Odisha government has mobilised a fleet of nearly 800 public buses to transport pilgrims from various districts for Thursday’s grand event.
