Puri, July 1: After the Puri Sankaracharya offered prayers to the lords atop the chariot, Gajapati Dibyasingh Dev came in a decorated Palanquin called “Mehena” from his palace and performed a set of rituals such as “Arati, Bandapana, rajnitee”, sprinkled holy water on the ratha desks and performed Chhera pahanra( sweeping the deck of the chariots around the deities with a golden broom) and offered prayers.
After the “Chherapahanra” the servitors fixed Sarathis (charioteers), wooden horses and fashioned ropes before the pulling of the chariot started. As per the rituals, the Taladhwaja chariot of Lord Balabhadra will be rolled first followed by the Darpadalan chariot of Devi Subhadra and finally the Nandighosh chariot of Lord Jagannath.
As per tradition, the deities, on their way to Gundicha temple will stop at Mausima temple along the three km Grand road to taste the famous ”Podapitha” (sweet cake)baked by their aunt.
As many as 180 platoons of police besides one thousand experienced officers, rapid action force, and a quick response team have been deployed for the safe and smooth conduct of the fete.
Over fifty CCTV cameras were installed along the Grand road, the venue of the car festival to monitor the crowd moving from the integrated control room.
A comprehensive traffic mobility plan has been implemented. An ambulance corridor alongside the Grand Road has been created.
About five hundred lifeguards are deployed along the Puri beach for rescue and to prevent drowning in sea.
The railway has also deployed a good number of RPF and GRP personnel for the annual event. As directed by the Railway Minister, tents for the accommodation of 15,000 pilgrims have been raised in the Railway station complex.
Apart from regular trains, 200 special DMU will run to Puri from different locations.
The health department has beefed up its bed capacity by 200 beds with sunstroke treatment cabins. As many as 220 doctors and paramedical staff have been deputed by the department to Puri for the fete.
Unprecedented security arrangements have been made for the Rath Yatra. Security in air, sea and land has been taken care of and Anti-terrorist force has been included.
Security forces have been deployed to operate under five main divisions Chariot pulling, regulated movement of pilgrim crowd, systematic darshan of deities, and overall security of the city and the venue of the fete.
About 1000 experienced police personnel were engaged in Pahandi, VIP security, an inner and outer cordon of chariots and during the pulling of the chariots along the Grand Road.
The pilgrim town and Grand road have been divided into ten zones and 29 sectors.
Coast guard vessels have been pressed into service to patrol the sea coast while drone cameras were used to monitor the situation from the air from two control rooms.
A large number of CCTV cameras have been installed along the Grand road and some other strategically important places for the close vigil of the movement of the crowd.
The Doordarshan and local TV channels made elaborate arrangements to cover the Car festival live.
State information and public relation, environment and forest Minister Pradeep Amat on Thursday inaugurated the Pallishree meal, a special attraction for visitors to Bholanath Vidyapith campus.
State governor Ganesi Lal inaugurated the festival camp of Bharat scouts and guides at Gopabandhu Ayurved medical college campus on Thursday.
The state government has urged devotees to wear face masks during the festival in view of rising covid positive cases.
Tata projects, the executor of the Srimandir parikrama project had prepared a replica of the entire project on the Southern side of the Sri Mandir parikrama.
Although the state government has announced to distribute ten lakh face masks among devotees as a precaution against the coronavirus very much has been done to execute the ambitious programme. The NGOs participating in the fete have no knowledge about it and there is no mechanism to implement it.
A number of keertan troops belonging to various sects were seen participating in the grand annual event of lord Jagannath.
