Odisha to issue fewer cordon passes for Rath Yatra crowd control

The Odisha government will issue fewer cordon passes during Rath Yatra to prevent overcrowding near chariots. Authorities reviewed security, infrastructure and health arrangements, while ongoing projects and facilities are being prepared to manage the large influx of devotees in Puri

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has decided to issue fewer ‘cordon passes’ this year to prevent overcrowding of devotees near the chariots during Rath Yatra, officials said on Sunday.

The decision was taken during a high-level review meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg on Saturday evening, in the backdrop of three people dying during the Rath Yatra in Puri last year.

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Cordon passes are issued to enter the inner cordon around the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra. Such passes are issued only to people engaged in rituals or security, sources said.

The review meeting focused on timely completion of all arrangements related to security, crowd management, rituals, infrastructure, health, sanitation and logistics, keeping in view the possible congregation of lakhs of devotees in Puri for Rath Yatra, starting from July 16.

With focus on crowd management on the Grand Road (also called ‘Bada Danda’) in front of the 12th century shrine where chariots are pulled, the meeting discussed how to conduct smooth ‘Pahandi’ (procession) rituals.

The meeting also discussed problems arising due to the distribution of free cooked food by different religious and charitable organisations on the Grand Road and the filth left behind.

The meeting decided to restrict such food distribution on the Grand Road and provide a specific place to organisations for free food distribution, officials said.

The meeting also discussed in detail issues related to traffic management, setting up of CCTV cameras and emergency arrangements for surveillance at various places, road repair in and around Puri city, control room management, adequate police deployment and parking arrangements, they said.

For the convenience of passengers, the Railways will set up eight more ticket counters, an official said.

Meanwhile, chariot construction reached the sixth day on Sunday. Work began on Akshaya Tritiya on April 20.

Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Kumar Padhee informed the meeting that 576 out of the 865 required timber logs have already been collected.

A technical committee is overseeing the construction process, Padhee said.

Garg emphasised ensuring the durability of the ropes used to pull the chariots.

Officials, meanwhile, said major infrastructure projects in Puri are nearing completion to accommodate the large number of pilgrims who would visit the seaside town during the Rath Yatra.

These include the Jagannath Ballav Pilgrim Centre, multi-level parking at Digabareni, and the redevelopment of Acharya Harihar Chhak.

The renovation of the Shree Gundicha Temple is also expected to be finished before the festival begins. For improved commuter experience, the Matiapada overbridge on the Puri-Konark Road is in its final stages and will be operational soon to ease traffic pressure, they said.

The state administration also plans to install around 1,600 temporary toilets throughout the city. To handle potential heavy rainfall, 23 locations have been identified for high-capacity water pumps to ensure swift drainage.

In the health sector, eight temporary 10-bed hospitals will be established at various points to provide emergency care and reduce the load on the Puri district hospital.

The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department Hemant Sharma, Principal Secretary, Law, Pabitra Mohan Samal, ADGP S K Priyadarshi, Puri Collector Dibyajyoti Parida and Superintendent of Police Prateek Singh.