365 special trains to run during Rath Yatra in Puri; insurance of Rs 5 lakh for devotees

At least 365 special trains are to connect Puri during the upcoming Rath Yatra festivities of Lord Jagannath and His divine siblings. Insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh will be in place for the devotees under this civic limit. This was decided in a high-level preparatory meeting for the Lords’ nine-day annual sojourn on Thursday.

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A new app and website are being developed to enhance the experience of visitors to the celebrated Rath Yatra and Jagannath Temple. In a move to handle the expected high influx of pilgrims, the special trains will be operational during the Yatra period.

Puri, the location of this sacred festival, will be under surveillance with the aid of advanced CCTV, drones, and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled cameras. These decisions were reached at the first coordination meeting held in the pilgrimage town, chaired by the Central Division Revenue Commissioner (RDC-Central) B. Parameswaran.

The meeting addressed critical logistical challenges, such as securing the supply of wood for constructing the three chariots, strict adherence to policy frameworks, and comprehensive management of health, sanitation, water supply, and electricity services.

Insurance coverage for devotees

Significantly, the introduced insurance scheme offers coverage of Rs 5 lakh for all devotees during the Rath Yatra within Puri municipal limits and specifically for only 10 individuals during the Chandan Yatra festival.

Dedicated Darshan (viewing) arrangements have been made for those with disabilities at five to seven different spots along Bada Danda (Grand Road). Emphasising health and sanitation management, preparations for the world-famous divine event are scheduled to conclude by May 15. Attention was also given to effective crowd management, law and order, and coordination among various sectors.

District Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain, Central Range Inspector General of Police (IGP) S. Praveen Kumar, along with Superintendent of Police (Railways), Puri SP, representatives of servitors, and several other senior officials and intelligentsia took part in the meeting.

“We got several suggestions and will discuss them with district-level officials concerned. We will take the suggestions forward. We are left with around two months for the festival. We will ensure everything goes in good spirit,” the RDC-Central said to mediapersons.

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“We discussed all issues specifically faced during the Rath Yatra. We also discussed the plans for effective management of the festival,” Puri Collector stated.