Bhubaneswar: The Puri district administration and the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) have made elaborate arrangements for smooth darshan at the 12th century shrine on the New Year (January 1).
The authorities have set up an air-conditioned (AC) shed with sitting facilities, toilets and drinking water for the convenience of devotees. Special arrangements are in place for senior citizens and differently-abled persons. Around 50 volunteers will be deployed to escort the elderly persons into the shrine, said an official of the district administration.
As many as 90 platoons of police force led by 20 DSPs and 50 Inspectors will be deployed across Puri town on the occasion, he added.
The SJTA, meanwhile, held a meeting with the Puri district police, servitors of the shrine and personnel of Jagannath Temple Police for hassle-free darshan at Srimandir on January 1.
The district administration today held a coordination meeting with hotel owners of Puri for incident-free Zero Night celebration in the seaside town. The hotel owners have been asked to install adequate number of CCTV cameras on their premises. The Puri police have already launched a round-the-clock helpline no. 6370967100 to solve any issues related to the tourists, sources said.
The administration has also conducted an orientation programme for lifeguards deployed on the beach.
A portion of the Grand Road, from Market Square to the Lions Gate of Srimandir, has been declared as no-vehicle zone for the convenience of the devotees. Similarly, no vehicular traffic will be allowed from Digabareni to Lighthouse on the Marine Drive from December 31 this year to January 2 next year, said the official.
All tourist buses coming from various places across Odisha and outside will be parked at Malatipatpur on the outskirts of Puri town.
All light vehicles coming into Puri will be parked at Jagannath Ballav, Jail Road, Sharadha Bali and Jatrika. Similarly, the administration has identified designated places on the Grand Road for parking of two-wheelers.
