With widespread enthusiasm to welcome the New Year, a large influx of devotees from across Odisha and outisde is expected at Puri as thousands plan to begin the year with the darshan of Lord Jagannath and His Siblings at Srimandir. In view of the anticipated rush, extensive arrangements have been put in place at the pilgrim town to ensure orderly darshan, devotee safety and smooth crowd management.

As per the finalised schedule, Lord Jagannath’s pahuda will be observed at 11 pm on Wednesday night. The Dwaraphita ritual will be performed from 2 am, following which darshan for devotees will commence. Authorities are prepared for continuous crowd movement from the early hours of the New Year.

Crowd Control And Security Measures

Anticipating a massive gathering, the police administration has deployed extensive security arrangements. Entry for devotees has been permitted only through the Singhadwara, while exits have been arranged through the remaining three gates to maintain discipline. Barricading has been extended up to Market Chhak to regulate crowd flow.

More than 70 platoons of security personnel will be deployed across Puri for crowd and traffic management. The entire city will remain under CCTV surveillance, with 152 cameras installed inside the Srimandir and 192 cameras outside, as per sources.

Traffic, Parking And Route Advisory

Strict checking has been enforced at all entry points to Puri, with special focus on parking management. People travelling from Brahmagiri have been advised to proceed towards Sterling Chhak from Mangalaghat Chhak via Omkareswar Temple and park at Jatrika Parking near the sea beach. Transport facilities arranged by the government and autorickshaws will be available from parking points to reach near the Srimandir.

Devotees arriving from Konark can park their vehicles at Talabania Parking, Helipad Parking and ITI Parking after reaching Grid Station Chhak via Bhudan Chhak. Private and government buses will operate from these locations.

Those travelling from Cuttack–Bhubaneswar have been advised to use the Batagaon New Bypass. Parking facilities have been arranged at Medical Chhak Parking, Jagannath Ballav Parking and Old Jagannath Ballav Parking.

Two-Wheeler Parking And Beach Safety

Two-wheelers may follow the same routes as four-wheelers, with parking primarily at Old Jagannath Ballav Parking. Additional facilities have been arranged at Medical Chhak and Municipality Parking in anticipation of heavy rush.

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Special vigilance is being maintained along the Puri beach. A large number of lifeguards have been deployed, and 300 home guard lifeguards will also be engaged to ensure safe sea bathing during the New Year period.