Puri: After spending 15 days at Anasara Ghara (sick room), Lord Jagannath and his siblings will regain their youthful looks and will give darshan to devotees in ‘Nabajouban Besha’ today.
They were suffering from fever followed by the ‘Deva Snana Purnima’ this year.
The darshan began at Puri Srimandir, ‘paramanik’ ticket holders were allowed to go in first from 8am to 9am. Thereafter, the ‘Sarbasadharan darshan’ (free public darshan) began from 9 to 10:30 am.
The servitors completed the ‘Banakalagi’ ritual’. Among other rituals, ‘Chaka Apasar’ ritual began at 6 am this morning followed by ‘Mangal Alati’, ‘Abakash Niti’ and then the three deities would be placed on their throne for their Nabajouban Darshan ritual.
As the public will be allowed to witness the Rath Yatra after a gap of two years, lakhs of devotees are likely to visit the pilgrim town this year. Adequate number of police personnel is being mobilised in the town so that the devotees can have safe darshan of the deities, he said after holding a meeting to review security arrangements for the festival.
As the Jagannath temple in Puri is classified as a category-A temple as terrorist threat are concerned, anti-sabotage and metal detector checks will be put in place near the temple and the chariots, he said.
Bomb disposal squad, anti-terrorist squad and special tactical units will be deployed at strategic locations in the town, said a police official.
For smooth flow of traffic, Puri town has been divided into 10 zones and 29 sectors. Adequate parking facilities have been made for two-wheelers and four-wheelers, he said.
Patrolling will be done till 12 nautical miles in sea and the Indian Coast Guard has been asked to remain on alert during the Rath Yatra, the official added.
Meanwhile, state Health Minister Naba Kishore Das has appealed to people with symptoms like cold, cough and fever, not to visit Puri during the festival.
Das said that about 10 lakh face masks will be distributed through Odisha State Medical Corporation Ltd (OSMCL) to the devotees. Arrangements will be made for rapid antigen tests, if someone develops any Covid-19 symptoms.
Ms Kalinga