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Hans India
07-07-2025
- 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.
Mint
06-07-2025
- Mint
Odisha Police using drones, AI cameras to control huge rush of devotees to witness Suna Besha
Puri, Jul 6 (PTI) With lakhs of devotees visiting Puri to witness the 'Suna Besha' (golden attire) of Lord Jagannath in chariot on Sunday, Odisha Police said it is using drones and AI cameras to control the crowd and cautioned people to make plans accordingly and abide by the traffic advisory issued. ADG (Traffic) Dayal Gangwar said that the vehicle inflow from Bhubaneswar towards Puri is constantly on the rise. Therefore, dynamic diversion is being done for vehicles to ensure minimum waiting time at Batgaon/Maltipatpur. "Present waiting time at Batgaon is around 20-30 minutes," he said while appealing to devotees to follow traffic advisories and cooperate with police personnel on duty. You may be interested in 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. According to the SJTA schedule, devotees can witness the Suna Besha rituals of the deities from 6.30 pm to 11 pm on Sunday. In a 'Suna Besha Yatra Alert' the police said all the parking space in the pilgrim town has been occupied due to a large number of devotees reaching Puri throughout Saturday night to have darshan of Lord Jagannath. "As parking spaces in the city are almost fully occupied, the vehicles are being directed towards Talabania and Sterling based on the availability of parking spaces. Waiting times at Batagaon/Malatipatpur may be longer," the police said. In view of the huge devotees inflow to Puri, Odisha DGP Y B Khurania himself is monitoring the crowd management from the Integrated Crowd Control Centre (ICCC) and urged people to follow the advisory. "Devotees are requested to follow advisories and maintain discipline and order during the darshan period. Like Rath Yatra and Bahuda, police are using drones and AI-powered cameras to control crowds and regulate traffic. Adequate parking lots have been created in and around Puri," Khurania said. The officials said that 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 - 'Taladwaj', 'Darpadalan' and 'Nandighosh' - are 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, and the administration was on its toes to control the crowd for 'Suna Besha' rituals, the SJTA official said. The police have 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. SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee has appealed to all stakeholders to actively cooperate for the smooth conduct of Lord Jagannath's 'Suna Besha' rituals.
New Indian Express
06-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Bahuda Yatra goes smoothly as divine trinity returns home
PURI : With the government leaving nothing to chance after the gross mismanagement of Rath Yatra, which led to loss of three lives in a stampede, and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi himself taking the reins, the Bahuda Yatra (return journey) of the Holy Trinity was conducted smoothly in Puri on Saturday. Shaken by the series of untoward incidents, the administration meticulously planned the Bahuda event, revamping traffic arrangements and the command and control centre to effectively manage the crowd. The government engaged with the servitors to perform all rituals on time, including the conduct of the pahandi (ceremonial procession of deities). As a result, the pahandi was completed by 12.30 pm, two hours before the scheduled time. The Chhera Pahanra ritual was performed by Puri king Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb on the three chariots and completed by 2.40 pm, one hour ahead of schedule. The chariot pulling was scheduled for 4 pm, but the first Taladhwaja rath of Lord Balabhadra rolled out at 3 pm. The sky was thickly overcast, and it was drizzling all through the day. Over half a million devotees converged at Badadanda (Grand Road) and participated in the pulling of the chariots to the Jagannath temple.
Time of India
06-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Enhanced security to control crowd during Suna Besha in Puri
1 2 Bhubaneswar: The state govt has put in place extensive arrangements to ensure the smooth conduct of "Suna Besha" (golden appearance) ceremony on Sunday. During this significant Rath Yatra festival, the divine siblings — gods Jagannath, Balabhadra, and goddess Subhadra — will be adorned in gold ornaments while seated on their chariots before the Jagannath Temple. Given the expected massive weekend turnout, police authorities have enhanced security, crowd management and traffic control measures. Police face a crucial challenge following the tragic deaths of three devotees in a stampede near the Gundicha Temple last Sunday (June 29), the third day of Rath Yatra. The security deployment includes a staggering 205 police platoons to maintain order, with five platoons specifically assigned to safeguard the deities' gold ornaments on the chariots. DGP Y B Khurania stated, "We request devotees to follow our advisories and maintain discipline and order during the darshan period. Like Rath Yatra and Bahuda, we will use drones and AI-powered cameras to control crowds and regulate traffic. Adequate parking lots have been created in and around Puri." While the precise weight of gold adorning the deities remains unverified by temple authorities, sources indicate about 40 to 50 kg of gold ornaments are traditionally used annually for the Suna Besha ceremony. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Global Indices Are on the Move — Time to Trade! IC Markets Learn More Undo According to a 1978 inventory, the Jagannath temple's Ratna Bhandar (treasury) contains 128 kg gold and 221 kg silver. Besides, about 30 kg gold donated by devotees have been deposited in banks, sources in the temple stated. The Suna Besha tradition linked to the Jagannath Temple is believed to have commenced during King Kapilendra Deb's reign in 1460. Following his victory over another ruler, he transported substantial gold to Puri on 16 elephants, offering it to the Jagannath Temple. This annual celebration continues on Asadha Sukla Ekadasi Tithi. "The deities will wear gold crowns and ornaments on their hands and feet. Lord Jagannath holds a golden chakra in his right hand and silver conch in his left. Lord Balabhadra carries a golden plough in his left hand and gold mace in his right. Devi Subhadra wears different ornaments," a temple official said. Various servitor groups, including Palia Puspalak, Bhitarchha Mohapatra, Taluchha Mohapatra, Daitapatis, Khuntia and Mekap Sevaks, are responsible for adorning the deities on the chariots.
Time of India
05-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Sibling deities return amid sea of devotees
1 2 Bhubaneswar: A wave of spiritualism swept Puri as the divine siblings Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra received a ceremonial send-off by lakhs of devotees on the occasion of Bahuda Yatra on Saturday, marking the deities' return journey to Jagannath Temple from their birthplace at Gundicha Temple. The deities, who had embarked on their annual journey to Gundicha Temple during Rath Yatra on June 27, will be escorted from their chariots to Jagannath temple during Niladri Bije on July 8. The successful completion of Bahuda came as a huge relief to the govt, particularly after the June 29 stampede in which three devotees lost their lives. "By god's grace and support of everyone, the Bahuda Yatra passed off peacefully and smoothly," said DGP Y B Khurania. According to sources in Puri district headquarters hospital, some devotees received first-aid after they were fell sick due to suffocation in the teeming crowds. Another devotee, Lambodar Prusty (53), was admitted to the hospital with leg injuries that he sustained during pulling of Lord Jagannath's chariot. The Bahuda Yatra focused on implementing lessons learnt from mistakes during Rath Yatra through enhanced crowd management and timely completion of rituals, including 'Pahandi' and chariot pulling. The chariot pulling commenced at 2.50 pm, much ahead of the scheduled 4 pm. The chariots reached near Jagannath Temple in the evening, compared to their two-day Gundicha-bound journey during Rath Yatra. Police prioritised crowd control and chariot pulling procedures, following criticism over difficulties in pulling Lord Jagannath's chariot during Rath Yatra due to crowd management issues. Bahuda celebration mirrored Rath Yatra's vibrance and grandeur, with Puri experiencing massive crowds. Devotees pulled the chariots along the 3-km Grand Road to the tunes of cymbals, gongs, and flutes filling the air. The overcast conditions and light rainfall favoured the large gathering of devotees." "It was an emotional moment while bidding adieu to the deities until next year. We had a smooth darshan on chariots," said Anamika Biswas, a devotee from West Bengal. Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi highlighted the arrangements that resulted in smooth conduct of Bahuda Yatra. "For the peaceful and orderly darshan, a green corridor was arranged for smooth movement of ambulances on Grand Road. Keeping safety in mind, over 25,000 security personnel have been deployed. Adequate traffic police have been stationed to manage traffic. To make the union between devotees and the Lord memorable and unique, the government made all necessary arrangements. The people's chief minister himself was overseeing it," read a post on X by the chief minister's office.
