PURI: Around 40,000 devotees had darshan of the Trinity in their Nabajoubana Besha on Tuesday.
Early in the morning, servitors performed the customary Khadi Lagi and Ghana Lagi rituals by applying special herbal preparations to the deities. Three sets of servitors later carried out the Banaka Lagi ritual, involving the ceremonial facial decoration of the deities.
The day began with the routine rituals including Mangala Arati, Mailam and Abakasha, followed by the deities being dressed in new attire. Paramanik (ticketed) darshan, originally scheduled earlier in the day, was delayed by more than two hours. It commenced at 5 pm and continued for 30 minutes. Ticket holders entered through the South gate, while general devotees were allowed entry through the Singhadwara.
Sahanamela (free public darshan) began at 5.30 pm and concluded at 6.30 pm amid light drizzle and overcast skies.
The rituals concluded without any untoward incident. Tight security arrangements were in place throughout the event.
Chief administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration Arabinda Padhee, Puri collector Dibyajyoti Parida and SP Prateek Singh were present to oversee the arrangements.
Meanwhile, construction of the three chariots for the upcoming Rath Yatra was completed. Darzi servitors were engaged in stitching and preparing the coloured cloth coverings for the chariots.
AIRTEL STRENGTHENS NETWORK READINESS AHEAD OF RATH YATRA
Bhubaneswar: Telecom service provider Bharti Airtel has completed a comprehensive network enhancement programme ahead of Rath Yatra in Puri. Company officials said network infrastructure has been strengthened to cover all the major road and rail corridors leading to the pilgrim town.
These enhancements, all equipped with 5G, have been undertaken to effectively manage the anticipated surge in network demand and ensure uninterrupted voice connectivity alongside high-speed data services during peak crowd movement.
“Puri Rath Yatra is one of Odisha’s most revered and largest public gatherings, attracting millions of devotees from across the country and abroad. Ensuring uninterrupted connectivity during this period is our utmost priority,” said Bharti Airtel COO Abhirup Chatterjee.
