Help desks and 82 special trains for Rath Yatra
Pilgrims need not walk long distances due to traffic regulations on Rath Yatra at Puri as they will be provided with free transportation in rickshaws throughout the day.
‘Green rider rickshaw’ service, operated by voluntary organization Barefoot, which recently won an award from President Pranab Mukherjee for the service, would press into service at least 50 rickshaws on the Rath Yatra day on July 10.
First-time visitors to Puri need not worry about searching for streets during Rath Yatra as various government departments have decided to set up help desks and information centres for guiding the devotees.
The Puri district administration would set up information centres at eight locations – Lion’s Gate (entrance to Jagannath temple), Town police station, Balagandi, Badasankha, Gundicha temple, Talabania bus stand, railway station and sea beach (Digabareni Square).
With more than a million people set to converge at Puri for the Rath Yatra that would commence on July 10, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) on Thursday announced 82 special trains from different parts of Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh to the temple city during the festival.
The special trains would be in addition to 25 pairs of regular trains plying to Puri from different parts of the country. Besides the Rath Yatra, the trains would be pressed on the occasion of Sandhya Darshan on July 17, Bahuda Yatra on July 18 and Suna Vesha on July 19 to meet the extra rush of passengers.
As many as 35 additional round the clock ticket counters would be opened at Puri. Extra booking counters would also be opened at Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Khurda Road, Berhampur, Balugaon, Khalikote, Paradip, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Keonjhar Road railway stations. They would be complemented with additional enquiry counters and passenger help desks.
A medical assistance booth will also be opened at Puri station. To be manned by five doctors, 30 nurses and other paramedical staff, it will have ambulances at its disposal too. Heavy security arrangements will also be put in place for safety of the passengers. A huge contingent of RPF with 500 personnel, sniffer dogs and GRP with 750 officers and personnel will be deployed. Puri railway station would be kept under constant watch through 24 CCTV cameras.
Like previous years, the mega festival will be webcast live on two websites (www.jagannath.nic.in and www.rathjatra.nic.in) of the temple administration.
