Puri Gears Up for Snana Purnima; 79 Platoons of Police Deployed, 10,000 Pahandi Tickets to Be Sold

The holy town of Puri is all set for the grand Snana Purnima festival of Lord Jagannath, with elaborate security and crowd management arrangements put in place for the annual ceremonial bathing ritual of the sibling deities. With only two days left for the festival, the district administration and police have intensified preparations to ensure a smooth and safe darshan for thousands of devotees expected to gather at the Jagannath Temple.

As part of the arrangements, the administration has decided to sell 10,000 special Pahandi Darshan tickets, priced at ₹150 each, allowing devotees to witness the ceremonial procession of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra to the Snana Mandap.

To maintain law and order, 79 platoons of police personnel will be deployed across Puri. The security setup includes 15 officers of SP rank, 30 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) and nearly 320 officers of Sub-Inspector and Assistant Sub-Inspector rank. Police personnel will be stationed inside and outside the temple, at traffic junctions, control rooms and rooftop observation points to monitor crowd movement and ensure public safety.

The temple premises and surrounding areas have been divided into 14 security sectors, each supervised by senior officers. CCTV surveillance will be strengthened around the Snana Mandap, Anand Bazaar and other sensitive locations to monitor the movement of devotees and prevent any untoward incidents.

Barricades have already been extended up to Market Chhak to facilitate orderly movement of pilgrims. Devotees will enter the temple through the designated barricaded route to avoid congestion during the festival.

The temple administration has also issued strict guidelines for the Snana Purnima rituals. Devotees will not be allowed to touch the deities either during the Pahandi procession or while the deities remain on the Snana Mandap. Standing close to or leaning against the deities has also been prohibited to preserve the sanctity of the rituals and protect the elaborate Gaja Besha decorations. Six specially trained police officers will assist the Daitapati servitors in maintaining discipline during the ceremonies.

According to the ritual schedule, 150 Ghantua servitors will play ceremonial bells while the deities are taken to the Snana Mandap, while 84 Ghantua servitors will perform the same duty during the return procession.

The Puri Police have also issued a detailed traffic advisory for the festival. Two-wheelers will be allowed only up to Market Chhak, while four-wheelers will be permitted via Shree Setu up to the JBPC parking area. Alternative parking arrangements have also been made in case the designated parking facilities reach full capacity.

With comprehensive security measures, traffic regulations and crowd management plans in place, the administration aims to ensure that devotees can witness the sacred Snana Yatra in a safe, orderly and spiritually fulfilling environment.