19 IPS officers, 12,000 cops: Puri Rath Yatra and the lessons from last year

Security increased along with the preparations ahead of the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri. (PTI Photo)With lessons from last year’s chaos during the Rath Yatra festival in Puri, the Odisha government has been leaving no stone unturned to implement an elaborate security and crowd-management plan for one of the country’s largest religious gatherings. The surge in security deployment Nearly 12,000 police personnel, 19 senior IPS officers, and over 100 senior administrative officers have been deployed as Puri prepares to welcome lakhs of devotees from across the globe for the nine-day festival starting July 16. Nearly three million devotees from India and abroad are expected to visit Puri during the festival. Preparations for the fire services are underway to ensure the safety of the devotees ahead of the annual Rath Yatra 2026 in Puri on Monday. (ANI Video Grab)After the state government came under heavy criticism following a stampede-like situation outside the Gundicha Temple that left three devotees dead, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi directed all departments to ensure a faultless, safe and incident-free Rath Yatra through “proper coordination and seamless communication” among inter-departmental agencies. According to tradition, Lord Jagannath, along with his siblings Lord Balabhadra and sister Devi Subhadra, embarks on a nine-day annual sojourn from the 12th-century Jagannath Temple to their birthplace — the Gundicha Temple — where they stay till the “Bahuda Yatra” (returning car festival), scheduled for July 24 this year. The deities board three huge decorated chariots before travelling around 3 km to the Gundicha Temple. Millions of devotees pull the chariots along the Bada Danda (Grand Road) in Puri. Chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings being prepared ahead of the Annual Rath Yatra, in Puri on Saturday. (ANI Video Grab)Officials said top priority is being given to the timely completion of rituals in view of the delay in pulling the chariots last year, when Lord Jagannath’s chariot — Nandighosh — could barely move a few metres. The government also said adequate plans have been put in place for crowd control and devotees’ safety. Bio-toilets, ecavcation corridors Multiple evacuation corridors for the swift movement of devotees in emergencies, eight temporary hospitals with adequate staff, installation of nearly 500 CCTVs, and special measures for persons with disabilities, the elderly, and women are among the steps taken for smooth crowd management. At least 1,700 bio-toilets have been installed for devotees, with volunteers deployed to maintain cleanliness and sanitation. Other measures include at least 65 LED screens providing real-time information, while temporary mobile towers have been set up to improve connectivity.Story continues below this ad Preparations underway ahead of the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra. (PTI)As a committee probed last year’s chaos and stampede-like situation, an official said the chief minister has directed officers in charge to maintain uninterrupted communication while enforcing the planned measures and ensure no communication gap arises. Besides police personnel, including central forces deployed for crowd control, personnel from the Indian Navy and Coast Guard have also been roped in to ensure devotees’ safety. The Indian Railways has announced 300 special trains for this year’s Rath Yatra to facilitate the movement of devotees.