Stage Set for Puri Ratha Yatra

BY: SUN STAFF CORRESPONDENT

[ Photos: Sampradaya Sun ]

Jul 02, JAGANNATHA PURI, ORISSA — The wait is over. The abode of Lord Jagannath is bustling with activities, as devotees from across the country and abroad thronged to watch the annual Rath Yatra, which will kick off from Sunday.

The Puri car festival is considered one of world's longest running religious festivals. It began at the inception of the 12th century Jagannath Temple, construction of which was started by Ananta Barman Chodoganga Dev (1112-1148 AD) and completed by his grandson Anangabhima Deva (1160-1190 AD).

The 3-km Grand Road where the three iconic chariots will roll on Sunday wore a bridal look. For the first time, the district administration painted buildings on both sides of the Grand Road with a uniform ‘ivory colour'.

Another high point of this year's Rath Yatra is that the administration has completely banned the sale of non-vegetarian foods along the Grand Road, to keep the Lord's sojourn pious and spiritual. To ensure that pilgrims get a clear glimpse of the chariots, the district officials have pulled down all commercial and promotional hoardings from the Grand Road.

"Those are some of the new steps we have taken this time around following direction from the chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who reviewed the Rath Yatra preparations recently," Puri District Collector Fakir Charan Satapathy said.

"Arrangements have been made to the tee. Pilgrims will not face any trouble during the Rath Yatra festivity," Satapathy said.

The Excise Department officials on Saturday pulled down a few hoardings of wine companies, seized 5 gram brown sugar and country and foreign liquor in Puri. "The excise commissioner has imposed stringent restrictions on the advertisement of wine companies during Rath Yatra. There is also ban on sale of liquor on Rath Yatra day," said Excise Department inspector (Cuttack), Amarendra Kumar Jena.

The district administration expects footfall of more than 8 lakh pilgrims on Sunday. The pulling of the chariots is scheduled to start at 3 pm, nearly one hour after the traditional chhera pahanra (sweeping of chariot floors) ceremony by the Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb.

The triad sibling Deities will holiday at Gundicha Temple, about 3 kilometers from the 12th century shrine, for a week. The Deities will then return towards Their abode on the occasion of Bahuda Yatra, on July 11th, entering the sanctum sanctorum on the occasion of Niladri Bije, on July 14th.

Security has been tightened for an incident-free Rath Yatra. As many as 100 platoons of police force, including anti-Naxal squads, have been mobilised to check law and order and regulate traffic in the town. "Around 600 officers in the rank of SP, ASP, DSP, inspector and sub-inspector, besides ten IPS officers would stay guard during Rath Yatra in Puri," a police officer said.

A number of high frequency CCTV cameras have been installed at vantage points along the Grand Road to keep a tab on suspicious characters. "Sharp shooters will also occupy major rooftops around the temple," the officer added.

Adequate security has been put in place at Puri railway station. "Woman constables will stay guard in trains to help and rescue the needy women in face of any trouble," a railway police officer said. CCTV cameras and sniffer dogs have also been pressed into service.