Rath Yatra preparatory meet held
PURI: The first meeting of Rath Yatra Coordination Committee was held here on Wednesday to review the preparation for the mega festival scheduled to be celebrated on July 4. Revenue Divisional Commissioner (Central) Anil Samal presided over the meeting. The temple administration has already received logs required for construction of chariots from the forest department and work would begin from Akshay Tritiya. Traditionally, on Akshay Tritiya, three logs of soura wood are consecrated and the carpenters, who make the three chariots for Rath Yatra, begin their work after a series of rituals and special ceremonies known as ‘ratha anukula’.
Issues relating to health and hygiene, power supply, drinking water, illumination of the city and Badadanda, supply of essential commodities, security provisions and timely completion of rituals of the deities were discussed. Officials of Puri Municipality and Public Works Department (PWD) have been instructed to complete the drain cleaning work and repair the damaged roads. Similarly, the railway officials said 187 special trains will ply from different places to Puri during the festival. Among others, Collector Jyotiprakash Das, IGP Soumendra Priyadarshi and SP Soumya Dash were present.