New Year rush intensifies in Puri as devotees line up for Lord Jagannath’s darshan

Puri(By Abhishek Mohanty): 
With the New Year drawing closer, the pilgrim town of Puri is witnessing a sharp rise in the number of devotees, resulting in long queues outside the Srimandir for darshan of Lord Jagannath. The influx has been steadily increasing over the past few days, prompting the administration to strengthen crowd control and security arrangements across the town.

Officials expect the rush to peak on December 31 and January 1, which are traditionally marked by a heavy turnout of pilgrims.

To ensure smooth movement of devotees and avoid overcrowding, extensive barricading has been set up from Srinar to Bagala Dharmashala.

These arrangements are aimed at regulating entry routes to the Srimandir and maintaining an orderly flow of devotees, especially during peak hours.

Devotees are being allowed into the temple in batches to manage the crowd effectively and reduce congestion inside the temple premises.

Security has been tightened throughout Puri, including the Srimandir and the sea beach area. As part of the New Year preparedness, 25 platoons of police personnel, along with senior officers, have been deployed to maintain law and order and manage the expected surge of visitors.

Police personnel have been deployed at major locations to monitor crowd movement, assist pilgrims, and ensure quick response to any untoward situation.

According to reports, thousands of devotees are arriving in Puri every day to seek blessings of the Sibling Deities. 

On Friday morning, large numbers of pilgrims were seen queuing up from the early hours, patiently waiting for their turn to enter the shrine.