Devotional Music to Woo Puri Pilgrims

BY: SUN STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Apr 21, 2012— JAGANNATHA PURI, ORISSA — The state government is contemplating the installation of music systems along the holy Grand Road, facing Jagannath Temple in Puri, to play devotional songs relating to the presiding sibling Deities—Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. The government is likely to introduce the system prior to Rath Yatra, scheduled for June 21, 2012.

"We want to create an ambience of religious ecstasy in Puri. Pilgrims will feel better if they listen to Jagannatha-songs. It will add value to the spiritual tourism of the place," Orissa revenue divisional commissioner (central range) and Jagannath Temple's chief administrator P. K. Mohapatra said after attending the first preparatory meeting on Saturday for the forthcoming Rath Yatra.

The government also decided to erect uniform signboards outside shops and commercial establishments on Grand Road in Puri. The decision came close on the heels of government painting all buildings on Grand Road with uniform ivory colour during last year's Rath Yatra.

"It will look attractive if all shops and commercial establishments carry a common signage. The size and design of the boards would be finalized soon. New signage boards would be installed much before Rath Yatra," Mohapatra said.

"We will also inspect the condition of the ivory-coloured buildings and apply fresh colour on them, if necessary. Our uniform colour-code move was widely appreciated by pilgrims last year," Mohapatra said.

He informed that the traffic between Bhubaneswar and Puri might not face much congestion this Rath Yatra as vehicles would be allowed to ply on the expanded NH between Uttara and Pipili (around 10km). The NH expansion between Puri and Bhubaneswar started in 2010 in view of the 2015 Nabakalebar festival of Lord Jagannath.

"NHAI assured us to hand over around 10-km expanded road for public use before Rath Yatra. It will also stop expansion work during major festive occasions in view of heavy traffic movement," Mohapatra said.

National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) would spend around Rs 1.25 crore to illuminate the 3-km Grand Road, facing the 12th century Jagannath Temple. The power company would erect 38 high mast light posts in Puri before Rath Yatra, sources said.

Nalco has pledged to install new surveillance cameras on Grand Road for smooth conduct of Rath Yatra, Mohapatra said. Though some CCTV cameras were put in place last year, almost all became kaput.

The Jagannath Temple administration made a budgetary allocation of nearly Rs two crore to conduct the annual Rath Yatra.