What to Expect at the Upcoming Rath Yatra: Odisha's Grand Festival Preparations
Odisha's Preparations for Rath Yatra
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has established a high-level ministerial committee to facilitate the smooth execution of the upcoming Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, scheduled for June 27.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida will lead this committee, as per a notification released by the Law Department on Friday.
Other committee members include Law, Works and Excise Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling, Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, and Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena. The Principal Secretary of the Law Department will serve as the convenor.
The committee's main task is to supervise, monitor, and provide guidance to ensure that all festival arrangements are executed without any issues, according to the notification.
Recently, Odisha's DGP YB Khurania emphasized the importance of crowd management while reviewing preparations for the June 27 Rath Yatra. He instructed senior police officials to ensure the safety of the approximately 1.5 million attendees expected in Puri.
The chariot procession in Puri will take place on June 27, while the significant bathing ritual for the trinity—Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Jagannath—will occur on June 11. Preparations for the 'Snnan Yatra' are also underway, as noted by Puri SP Vinit Agarwal.
In addition, the Puri district administration has introduced a mobile application named 'Shree Jagannatha Dham' focused on the 12th-century temple in the pilgrimage town. This app aims to assist devotees.
Features include real-time Niti status and timings, estimated waiting times in queues, and arrangements for the Rath Yatra and other special events, as stated by the Collector and District Magistrate of Puri in a post on X on Friday.
Launched ahead of the Rath Yatra celebrations, this app is designed to benefit both devotees and tourists, providing guidance and information about nearby religious sites, according to Puri collector Siddharth Shankar Swain.