Puri: The holy town of Puri is gearing up for the five-day Panchuka period, with the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration making arrangements to manage the expected rush of devotees seeking darshan of the deities in their special attire.

KartikBrata and Rai Damodar Brata will begin on October 26, drawing devotees from across Odisha and beyond. The rush is expected to intensify during Panchuka, the final five days of the holy month, when the deities of the Shree Jagannath Temple appear in special ritual attire.

To facilitate the movement of devotees and streamline queues, the temple administration has initiated steps to put up temporary iron barricades and sheds along the stretch from Bada Akhada Matha to Bagala Dharmashala. The arrangements are intended to regulate the flow of pilgrims and provide shelter to those waiting for darshan.

The Public Works Department has started the tendering process for the temporary infrastructure. The estimated expenditure is more than Rs 21.53 lakh for sheds and over Rs 17.82 lakh for barricades.

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Panchuka holds special religious significance for devotees observing Kartik Brata. The period culminates in Kartik Purnima and witnesses a surge in pilgrim arrivals as devotees seek the blessings of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra.

The special attire of the deities during these days is among the major attractions at Srimandir, making crowd management a key priority for the authorities.

Temporary barricades and shelters are routinely arranged during major festivals and peak-footfall periods. With the holy period approaching, the administration’s immediate focus is on ensuring orderly queues and a smoother darshan experience for pilgrims.

As Puri prepares for the spiritual fervour of Panchuka, devotees are expected to converge on the temple town in large numbers, turning the coming days into one of the busiest periods of the Kartik month.