Puri, June 27: With Deva Snana Purnima just two days away, preparations for the grand Snana Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Sudarshan have reached the final stage in Puri. The festival marks the beginning of the annual Rath Yatra celebrations and is one of the most important rituals in the Jagannath tradition.
On the auspicious day, the deities will be ceremonially brought from the Ratna Singhasana to the Snana Bedi in the traditional Pahandi procession. After the sacred bathing ritual with 108 pots of scented water, the deities will give darshan to devotees in the famous Hathi (Elephant) Besha, a rare attire that draws thousands of pilgrims every year.
To ensure the smooth and peaceful conduct of the festival, Odisha Police will deploy 79 platoons of security personnel across Puri. The deployment includes 15 officers of SP and Commandant rank, 30 Deputy Superintendents of Police, and around 340 officers of SI and ASI rank.
Nearly 200 CCTV cameras have been installed across the city for round-the-clock surveillance. Plainclothes police personnel and rooftop security teams will also be deployed. Authorities have given special importance to crowd management, traffic regulation and maintaining order during the Pahandi procession and darshan.
The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) said special arrangements have been made 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 ensure smooth darshan for devotees.
Officials also confirmed that the traditional Basunga Pata, the special silk cloth required for the deities during Snana Yatra, has arrived from Athagada.
Barricades have been set up from the Shree Jagannath Temple office to Market Chhak to regulate the movement of pilgrims. Devotees holding Pahandi tickets 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 temple gates.
Pilgrims will also be able to have darshan of the deities at the Snana Mandap from the Grand Road (Bada Danda). However, authorities have prohibited people from standing anywhere along the Bada Danda during the festival procession.
With a massive turnout of devotees expected, the district administration has appealed to pilgrims to cooperate with security personnel and follow traffic and crowd management guidelines to ensure the festival is conducted safely and smoothly.
