Managed 33% larger crowd in Puri than last yr: Rail police
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Puri station handled 82,565 departing passengers during Suna Besha, showing a substantial increase of 33.60% compared to last year's 61,798. Similar figures are expected for arrival, which are currently under evaluation.
ADG (railway) Arun Bothra said govt railway police and railway protection force implemented airport-style queue systems and strategic barriers, which effectively reduced tension between security staff and travellers.
"Moving away from traditional forceful restrictions, a more passenger-friendly approach was adopted. The results were remarkable, with better compliance. Understanding crowd psychology was key to our effective crowd control. People naturally cooperate better when they feel guided rather than controlled or restricted," Bothra said.
A senior RPF official said, "This year's experience proves that modern crowd management techniques can effectively handle larger crowds."
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Time of India
16 hours ago
- Time of India
Govt plans for Rath Yatra 2026 with focus on rising vehicular traffic
1 2 Bhubaneswar: In the wake of severe traffic congestion during this year's Rath Yatra, the Odisha govt has planned comprehensive measures to effectively handle increasing vehicular traffic during festivals. Puri, which hosts lakhs of devotees during its celebrated annual festivals, including Rath Yatra, Bahuda Yatra and Suna Besha, witnessed unprecedented vehicular traffic this year, pushing its existing infrastructure to its limits. The situation has prompted govt authorities to reassess the pilgrim city's traffic management system. "The govt will make Puri future-ready to effectively deal with heavy vehicular flow. After witnessing unimaginable rush of vehicles, we have already initiated a preliminary discussion keeping an eye on long-term solutions," law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said. Statistical data reveals the magnitude of the challenge: while the city had designated 21 parking lots with a maximum capacity of 6,500 four-wheelers during the recent festivals (Rath Yatra on June 27, Bahuda Yatra on July 5 and Suna Besha on July 6), the actual influx exceeded 20,000 vehicles per day. This threefold surge in traffic volume left law enforcement personnel scrambling to maintain order with limited resources. "The govt has planned a collaborative approach, bringing together various stakeholders, including former district collectors, superintendents of police and urban planning experts. This consortium will work to develop sustainable solutions for Puri's growing traffic management needs," Harichandan added. Commerce and transport minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena outlined the govt's multi-pronged approach to address these challenges. "The chief minister (Mohan Charan Majhi) already announced Puri's elevation to municipal corporation status. This will unlock new possibilities for infrastructural development. This administrative upgrade will facilitate larger budgetary allocations and enable implementation of modern traffic management systems," Jena said. Local residents and business owners have called for urgent infrastructural development ahead of next year's Rath Yatra. "The number of four-wheelers is increasing rapidly. Those who used to travel Puri via trains and buses have their own cars now. Even though Puri's parking facilities have improved in the last four to five years, they need further enhancement," Debasis Das, convenor of Srikhetra Swabhiman Mancha, a Puri-based cultural outfit, said. Hoteliers said that parking infrastructure and enhanced traffic management are essential to handle potential rise in the arrival of tourists to Puri as per govt's 'Vision Document 2036 and 2047'. "Puri's economic potential is closely tied to its ability to handle large crowds during festivals. Modern infrastructure will not only benefit pilgrims but also boost local tourism and commerce," Debasis Kumar, vice-president of Hotel Association of Puri, said. Kumar suggested that development of more parking facilities, implementation of smart traffic management systems, construction of new road networks to reduce congestion, integration of public transport solutions and installation of modern surveillance systems may help authorities to address the traffic issue. "As Puri continues to attract increasing numbers of devotees and tourists, these infrastructure developments are crucial steps toward maintaining the city's status as one of India's top pilgrim destinations," Kumar said.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Managed 33% larger crowd in Puri than last yr: Rail police
Bhubaneswar: Railway police on Monday said they have successfully managed a 33% larger crowd at Puri station during Sunday's Suna Besha festival by implementing "psychology-based crowd management" techniques. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Puri station handled 82,565 departing passengers during Suna Besha, showing a substantial increase of 33.60% compared to last year's 61,798. Similar figures are expected for arrival, which are currently under evaluation. ADG (railway) Arun Bothra said govt railway police and railway protection force implemented airport-style queue systems and strategic barriers, which effectively reduced tension between security staff and travellers. "Moving away from traditional forceful restrictions, a more passenger-friendly approach was adopted. The results were remarkable, with better compliance. Understanding crowd psychology was key to our effective crowd control. People naturally cooperate better when they feel guided rather than controlled or restricted," Bothra said. A senior RPF official said, "This year's experience proves that modern crowd management techniques can effectively handle larger crowds."
Hans India
a day ago
- Hans India
Puri witnesses huge inflow of devotees for ‘Suna Besha'
Lakhs of devotees thronged the sacred coastal town of Puri on Sunday to witness the holy siblings - Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra - adorned with gold ornaments, weighing around 208 kilograms. The huge inflow of pilgrims got a glimpse of the holy triad dazzling with gold ornaments of hundreds of kilograms, which resulted in heavy traffic snarls in and around Puri. Earlier in the day, the Odisha Police had alerted devotees coming to Puri that the designated parking spots in the city had reached the maximum capacity. The vehicles carrying pilgrims to Puri were advised to wait for some hours at Batgaon and Maltipatpur. 'Extremely heavy vehicle inflow from Bhubaneswar towards Puri at present. The present waiting time at Batgaon is around two hours. All devotees are requested to plan their visit accordingly,' informed the Odisha Police. The police requested all to follow traffic advisories and cooperate with on-duty police personnel. The deities were decorated with gold-made hands, feet, garlands with gold beads of different shapes and styles, golden crown, gold Chakra or discus, silver conch, gold ploughshare and pestle during the special ritual known as 'Suna Besha' or 'Rajarajeswar Besha' or 'Bada Tadhau Besha'. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) had earlier announced that devotees can get the 'darshan' of the deities from 6.30 pm to 11 pm on Sunday. With lakhs of devotees visiting Puri to witness the 'Suna Besha' (golden attire) of Lord Jagannath in chariot on Sunday, Odisha Police said it was using drones and AI cameras to control the crowd. Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said: 'We are expecting a turnout of about 15 lakh people on the occasion of Suna Besha. Last night alone, about 2 lakh devotees had 'darshan' of the deities on chariots. The administration is alert and aware of the situation and taking required measures to control the crowd,' the minister said. In view of the huge devotees inflow to Puri, Odisha DGP Y B Khurania himself monitored the crowd management from the Integrated Crowd Control Centre (ICCC) and urged people to follow the advisory. The officials said there was a 'non-stop flow of devotees to Puri on Saturday night as the deities remained on chariots and were open for 'darshan.' 'There was no 'Pahuda' (resting time) for deities on Saturday night and devotees got the opportunity to see them on chariots. Therefore, there was a huge rush,' an official of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) said. Servitors performed all the morning rituals on Sunday, while the sibling deities - Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath - were seated on their respective chariots. The three chariots - 'Taladhwaja', 'Darpadalana' and 'Nandighosha' - were parked in front of the 'Singha Dwar' (Lion's Gate) of the 12th-century shrine after the completion of the deities' nine-day annual sojourn. The 'Bahuda' Yatra passed off smoothly on Saturday amid unprecedented security and active cooperation of servitors. The administration was on its toes to control the crowd for 'Suna Besha' rituals, the SJTA official said. The police enhanced security, crowd management and traffic control measures for the 'Suna Besha' rituals, following the death of three devotees in a stampede near the Shree Gundicha temple on June 29, a senior police officer said. The SJTA Chief Administrator, Arabinda Padhee, has appealed to all stakeholders to actively cooperate for the smooth conduct of Lord Jagannath's 'Suna Besha' rituals.
