All roads lead to Puri as devotees congregate for Suna Besha
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Bhubaneswar: Entry points to Puri were choked following an unprecedented surge of vehicles transporting devotees for Suna Besha ceremony on Sunday, resulting in massive congestion and prompting police to implement emergency traffic management measures.
The ceremony, coinciding with a Sunday, drew huge crowds eager to witness the spectacle of the sibling deities — Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra — adorned in golden ornaments atop their respective chariots outside the Jagannath Temple.
Though the Suna Besha ceremony commenced in the evening and continued till late night, all designated parking facilities in and around Puri, capable of accommodating 6,500 vehicles, were exhausted by 7:30am.
Police authorities said such traffic flow was witnessed for the first time during Suna Besha compared to the previous occasions. Police were forced to cancel many vehicle passes issued before Rath Yatra. "While Suna Besha in 2024 had drawn about 15,000-20,000 vehicles, their numbers seem to have increased this time. We ensured proper traffic management," ADG Dayal Gangwar said.
The situation escalated on Sunday as severe traffic bottlenecks developed along all three major access routes to Puri from Bhubaneswar, Brahmagiri and Konark.
Commuters were stuck for a prolonged time about 10km away from their destination, with waiting times at critical junctions extending beyond two hours.
The inflow of vehicles overwhelmed the available infrastructure and tested the limits of law enforcement personnel. In response to the crisis, local police coordinated with their counterparts in Bhubaneswar and Khurda to implement immediate traffic control measures, including temporarily halting and preventing additional vehicle movement towards Puri.
Police officers, grappling with limited infrastructure and logistical challenges, looked for alternative parking solutions while issuing real-time updates and advisories to pilgrims and tourists via SMS, social media handles and LED screens installed en route to Puri. "These communications aimed to help visitors better plan their arrivals and minimise the risk of extended traffic delays," Gangwar said.
During Rath Yatra's third day on June 29, about 25,000 vehicles arrived in Puri, one of the factors contributing to the death of three devotees in a stampede outside the Gundicha Temple.
Devotees said the unprecedented turnout has highlighted the urgent need for enhanced infrastructure and more robust crowd and traffic management. "With better connectivity, the participation of devotees is increasing every year. Govt should take steps to accommodate the growing number of devotees arriving for the ceremonies while ensuring their safety and convenience," said Subrat Tripathy, an IT engineer from Bhubaneswar.
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