Odisha Director General of Police Y.B. Khurania on Friday, 17 July advised elderly devotees, those in poor health, and parents of children under two years of age to refrain from travelling to Puri during the ongoing Rath Yatra festival, citing an overwhelming surge of pilgrims at the coastal temple town. The advisory was issued in the interest of public safety as lakhs of devotees converged on the city for darshan of the holy triad.

DGP's Safety Advisory

Khurania, speaking to reporters, described the ground situation in stark terms. “The Bada Danda is crowded. Lakhs of devotees are present on the Bada Danda and in Puri town. Large numbers of people are thronging to Puri from various directions. The festival ambience appears cheerful and vibrant,” he said.

He urged all pilgrims to regularly check and strictly follow police advisories being issued at intervals. Authorities have put in place what officials described as elaborate crowd management and security arrangements to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival this year.

Anti-Snatching Drive Yields 103 Arrests

Alongside crowd management, Puri district Police have been running a focused anti-snatching operation throughout the festival period. As of Friday, 103 snatchers had been arrested and 203 mobile phones stolen from devotees recovered in the drive.

Special police teams have been maintaining round-the-clock surveillance at key locations including Bada Danda (Grand Road), the Shree Jagannath Temple precincts, the beach, the bus stand, the railway station, and parking areas. Authorities are deploying CCTV cameras, modern surveillance technology, and intelligence inputs to identify and detain suspects promptly.

Police have separately appealed to all devotees to remain vigilant about their mobile phones, wallets, gold ornaments, and other valuables in crowded spaces.

Chariots Resume After Thursday Halt

On Friday, lakhs of devotees pulled the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra toward the Gundicha Temple on the second day of the Rath Yatra. The procession had been suspended on Thursday evening by the administration over safety concerns, leaving the chariots halted midway on Bada Danda.

Devotees were able to have darshan of the holy triad on their respective chariots on Friday. The deities are scheduled to be formally received at the Gundicha Temple through the ceremonial Pahandi Bije ritual on Saturday.

What Devotees Should Know

This is not the first time Puri Police have issued safety advisories during Rath Yatra — the festival routinely draws millions of pilgrims, making crowd management one of the state's most complex annual operations. The combination of extreme heat, dense crowds, and the risk of stampedes makes the advisory particularly relevant for vulnerable groups. Authorities continue to urge the public to cooperate with security personnel and heed official instructions throughout the remaining days of the festival.