Coundown for Puri Car festival begins

Puri, July 14 (UNI) The countdown for the world famous Car festival in this pilgrim city on July 16 begins as Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra and their sister Devi Subhadra prepare for their appearance of 'Navayouvan darshan' tomorrow.

The Jagannath temple administration had geared up all its resources to make the nine-day sojourn of the presiding deities to Gundicha temple on three gigantic chariots a success.

The rituals for the Rath Yatra commenced from the Snan Purnima with the holy bath of the deities on the bathing altar and their recline to Anasar (room for the sick) for fifteen days suffering from fever.

During these days, devotees were denied of darshan of the deities as the temple Vaidya treated them with herbs and were put on fruit diet till they recover and appear for public darshan on a day prior to the Rath Yatra.

The holy city has already taken a festive look as lakhs of devotees had already arrived to witness the rath yatra.

Police has started regulating vehicular traffic along all the routes leading to this pilgrim city.

Special contingent of traffic police had been deployed at the Pipili to enforce one way traffic if necessary, while a number of heavy duty cranes were positioned at various places to clear any road blockade arising out of accidents.

The hospital in the city and in the periphery were all equipped with life saving drugs, while supply of essentials was ensured.

The illumination work of the three kilometre grand road, popularly known as ''bada danda'', on which the three chariots would roll down to the Gundichan temple, is being carried out on a war footing to give the city a festive look.

Official sources said nearly 65 platoons of armed police were pressed into action, besides two company of rapid action force and other regular police of the district.

Plain clothed intelligence personnel were on duty since long to keep a vigil on suspicious persons visiting the city. This, apart a special contingency plan, had been formulated to meet any eventuality of terrorist attack.

Police had already started scanning the visitors arriving at the railway stations and bus terminals.

Several high resolution electronic cameras were being installed at various places along the grand road, to monitor the movement of the visitors by police.

The Jagannath temple this time would deploy video cameras to record all movements in the three chariots throughout the journey.

As per the temple release, the ceremonial ''Pahandi'' would begin at 0930 hours on Monday after observance of a complex set of rites like Mangal aarati, Surya pooja and offering of Gopal Bhog.

The pahandi bije is likely to be over by 1230 hours and the ceremonial ''Chherapahanra''(cleaning the chariots by golden broom) by Gajapati king Divyasingh Dev would be completed by 1500 hours and the pulling of chariots would commence at 1600 hours.

The Bahuda Yatra (return car festival) would be held on July 24 and the Sunavesha of the three presiding deities on their respective chariots on July 26.

UNI