Bhubaneswar: Stung by the tragedies during Rath Yatra for two consecutive years, govt authorities are spending sleepless nights keeping constant vigil on crowd movement at Puri’s Gundicha Temple, where Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra are currently being worshipped.From senior officers to lower-rung field staff, the administration has remained awake through the last three nights to ensure smooth crowd management. The anxiety is palpable after two devotees died in a crowd surge during Rath Yatra last Thursday, three fatalities outside Gundicha Temple on June 29 last year, the third day of the festival.“Senior officers carried out late‑night inspections of crowd management. Executive magistrates remained on continuous vigil, ensuring efficient crowd handling and a seamless experience for devotees,” read a social post by the Puri district administration.A control room has been set up, deploying personnel from the police, district administration, fire and emergency services, health, and works departments to address emergencies and ensure a prompt response. “We are ensuring that devotees do not congregate in and outside the Gundicha Temple for long. They are being vacated politely, allowing others to move in and offer prayers. Devotees are maintaining discipline while offering prayers at the Gundicha shrine,” Puri SP Prateek Singh said.The traffic control room, too, is on high alert, monitoring inflow and outflow of vehicles in real time and alerting field officers to act accordingly under their crowd-control strategy. “Our task is to prevent bottlenecks. The idea is to keep Grand Road and the Gundicha Temple free of congestion so that pilgrims can move without panic,” said DIG Kanwar Vishal Singh.Devotees expressed mixed feelings. “We appreciate the strict vigil, but sometimes the constant pushing by police feels harsh,” said Swarnalata Prusty, a local devotee.Another devotee, Sunita Mishra from Bhubaneswar, said: “After the past tragedies, I feel safer seeing officers awake all night. It shows they care.”Servitors, too, weighed in. “Crowd psychology is unpredictable. Continuous monitoring and dispersal are crucial. The administration appears to have learnt lessons the hard way,” said servitor Shyama Mahapatra.The sibling deities will embark on their homebound journey towards the Jagannath Temple, marking Bahuda Yatra on July 24. Police authorities say they will maintain round‑the‑clock vigil until the festival concludes.
