Puri, July 25: Thousands of devotees from across Odisha and neighbouring states thronged the pilgrim town of Puri on Saturday to witness the grand Suna Besha of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra, leading to heavy traffic congestion on the Bhubaneswar-Puri National Highway.

Long queues of vehicles stretched for several kilometres as pilgrims made their way to the holy city for one of the most revered rituals of the annual Rath Yatra. The deities, seated on their respective chariots near the Singhadwara of the Shree Jagannath Temple, are scheduled to be adorned with exquisite golden ornaments later in the day during the spectacular Suna Besha ceremony.

With an unprecedented influx of devotees, the Puri district administration and police have put in place elaborate security and traffic management measures to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival. Traffic diversions, designated parking zones, and crowd-control arrangements have been implemented, while additional police personnel have been deployed at key locations.

Suna Besha, also known as Rajarajeswara Besha, is one of the most significant rituals associated with the Rath Yatra. During the ceremony, the sibling deities are decorated with kilograms of gold ornaments, including crowns, necklaces, armlets, hands, feet, and weapons, presenting a magnificent spectacle that attracts lakhs of devotees every year.

Temple authorities have appealed to pilgrims to follow security guidelines and cooperate with officials to ensure a safe and orderly darshan as the sacred golden attire ceremony unfolds later in the day.