Lakhs of devotees cutting across faiths arrived at Puri on Tuesday to witness the grand Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra. The huge crowd notwithstanding, there was hardly any space for chaos at the world-famous festival, thanks to the huge number of selfless people volunteering to help the devotees.
Apart from the administration, hundreds of volunteers of all age groups and from different organizations rose to the occasion to ensure that the devotees had a hassle-free darshan of the deities. Their motto was ‘service to mankind is service to God.’
Lakhs of devotees braved the scorching heat in Puri. The humidity of the town was 79 percent at around 11 am. With severe heat and humidity, Odisha Fire Service personnel were spraying cold water on the devotees. Several volunteers of private organisations also joined them. They carried water sprayers on their back to sprinkle cold water every now and then.
Several workers of many voluntary organisations also distributed biscuits, cakes, glucose, ORS packets, and cold drinks to the devotees, police, and security personnel at regular intervals to keep them cool and hydrated. Some other organizations also provided free food and water to the devotees to quench their hunger and thirst.
“The heat is unbearable for people. We are serving the devotees by providing them free food and water,” said a volunteer.
Some devotees became senseless due to the scorching heat and heavy rush during Rath Yatra. Apart from the government health workers and ambulances, hundreds of volunteers and many private ambulance owners did a commendable job by providing first aid and shifting the affected people to the hospitals.
This year, hundreds of volunteers including those from the RSS stood along the road making a human corridor for emergency services like shifting of ailing devotees to the hospitals. While some volunteers were providing wheelchair services to the divyang and elderly devotees, others were distributing caps and umbrellas to the devotees to keep themselves safe from the scorching heat.
“We are providing emergency services to ailing patients and shifting them to the hospitals. We started our service at 6 am and were helping the administration to serve the devotees in every aspect,” said Debabrata Panigrahi, an RSS worker.
“We are the volunteers of an organisation named Iswar from Cuttack. Service is our main motto. We are blessed and fortunate to extend our service to the devotees during the grand festival,” said a volunteer.
Taking the heavy rush into account, more than a hundred experienced lifeguards and fishermen were ready to guard people at the beach.
“We are always in alert mode. We are spreading awareness about the behaviour of the sea among the people who are taking baths. If anybody drowns, we are ever alert and always on our feet to save them,” said a lifeguard.
OTV cares also had its contribution in providing yeoman service to the devotees like sprinkling cold water and providing primary treatment to the devotees reporting illness or injury.