Puri turns fortress on eve of Debasnan Purnima

BHUBANESWAR: Police have divided Puri into seven zones while drawing up a security plan to ensure smooth conduct of the Debasnan Purnima, or the annual bathing ritual of gods Jagannath and Balabhadra and goddess Subhadra, in the Jagannath Temple on Friday. Keeping in mind the Covid-19 crisis, the government has banned the congregation of devotees in and around the temple this year.
“We have promulgated prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC around the temple to prevent people from gathering.The government will facilitate live telecast of the festival through Doordarshan. We appeal to the people to stay indoors and not violate the orders,” Puri collector and deputy chief administrator of the Jagannath Temple, Balwant Singh, said.
Deputy inspector-general (central range) Ashish Singh visited Puri on Thursday and fined-tuned the arrangements. Thirty-eight platoons of police force have been deployed in the pilgrim town to keep people away.
“We will prevent unauthorized access of people and vehicles to the temple. We have identified seven zones for security. Zone one surrounds the temple, zone two is Grand Road, zone three is the area between Bali Sahi Road and Dolamandap Sahi, zone four is the area between Bali Sahi Road and Lokanath Road, zone five is between Lokanath Road and Mangalaghat Chhak, zone six is the route between Hospital Square to Subash Bose Chhak and zone seven is the five entry points of Puri town,” DIG Singh said.
Special police parties and nine mobile patrolling units have been formed to dissuade people from gathering in the restricted areas. Armed cops will be positioned on rooftops around the temple, police said.
Temple officials said the Debasnan Purnima rituals would be performed by a limited number of servitors, who have all undergone Covid-19 test. The idols of the deities will be brought from the sanctum sanctorum to the bathing altar within the temple during the intervening night of Thursday and Friday. They will be given a ceremonial bath at the snan mandap on Friday.