Bhubaneswar, July 21: Thousands of devotees have been visiting the Sri Gundicha Temple in Puri to offer prayers during the sacred Adapa Mandap Darshan as part of the annual Rath Yatra celebrations.

Following the Adapa Mandap Bijari ritual, the sibling deities—Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra—have remained at the Gundicha Temple for six days, allowing devotees to seek their blessings.

In the wake of the recent stampede near the temple that claimed several lives, the Odisha Police have significantly strengthened security and crowd management arrangements to ensure the safety of pilgrims.

As devotees continue to arrive in large numbers for the holy darshan, senior police officers and personnel remain deployed across the temple premises to facilitate a smooth and peaceful pilgrimage.

Dr. Satyajit Naik, Inspector General of Police (Central Range) has been personally monitoring crowd management and directing police personnel to strictly adhere to safety protocols and streamline the movement of devotees.

To ensure an orderly darshan, Odisha Police have also installed extensive barricades, implemented comprehensive traffic management measures, and activated more than275 AI-enabled CCTV camerasto monitor the movement of pilgrims and prevent overcrowding.