High security for Rath-yatra of Lord Jagannath

Ahmedabad, Jun 26: Every bit of preparedness, from security to religion gaiety, have been made with meticulous precision for rolling out the 129th annual rath yatra of Lord Jagannath from the famous century old Jagannath Temple in Jamalpur area of the city on the auspious day of Ashadh Sud 2 which falls tomorrow.

The yatra will consist of three-chariots of Lord Jagannath (Krishna), his brother Balaram and sister Shubhadra, which will be rolled out in the morning by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, after he performs special pooja at the temple.

The rath-yatra will also have traditional attraction of 16 decorative elephants, 18 Bhajan Mandalis (groups), nearly 100 decorated trucks, 30 teams of gymnasts performing various feats, besides, over 2,000 saints and sadhus and thousands of devotees from all over the country.

In the wake of rising terrorist threats all over India and recent RDX bomb blast at Kalupur railway station in the city, police have thrown a very thick foolproof security blanket for this annual rath yatra.

According to Mr C R Parmar, Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) (Special Branch), the entire Jagannath Temple complex has been given a castle like security with setting up of electronic gadgets, including close circuit televisions (CCT), metal detectors, video camera and others.

These electronic security systems will be monitored and operated by specially trained policemen to watch every movement of devotees in and around the Jagannath temple to prevent any terrorist bid to disturb the yatra or communal harmony in the city, he said.

Mr Parmar said, six teams of specially trained policemen will closely watch movements and activities of the devotees and visitors inside and outside the temple on CCTVs and check them with metal detectors.

Besides electronics and hi-tech devices, a thick security blanket have been thrown around the temple complex and all along the entire route of 25 kms (thorough and back) for the peaceful conduct of the entire religious procession, he said adding that nearly 20,000-strong contingent of security forces will be deployed. The entire procession will be monitored by City Police Commissioner K R Kaushik from a special control room at the Police Headquarters here.

According to the Hindu mythology, Lord Jagannath (Krishna), with his elder brother Lord Balaram (Balabhadra) and sister Subhadra, goes on summer vacation, travelling on grand raths (chariots) from his temple in Puri, the costal town of Orissa in easter India, to his garden palace in the countryside, on the auspious day of Ashadh Sud 2, as per Hindu calendar.

This event has given birth to one of the biggest religious festivals of Hindus in India.

UNI