Puri: The administration’s bid to keep the cordon around chariots crowd-free came a cropper on Thursday, as throngs of devotees pushed into the restricted zone, posing serious crowd-control challenges for the police.“Many of them did not possess passes to stay near the chariots. We evicted a large number of unauthorised persons. Others refused to vacate, citing references of VIPs. We tried to remove them but failed,” admitted a police officer.He added that, as in previous years, some devotees entered in the guise of servitors this time as well. “They did not leave the area as they were accompanied by servitors. Relatives of several senior police officers, businessmen, and politicians too remained inside the cordon, violating the rule,” the officer said.District officials said the number of cordon passes was drastically reduced this time following a directive by chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi during a July 6 review of Rath Yatra preparations.“Even though we capped the number and issued very limited passes, we are at a loss as to how so many people made unauthorised entry. They should have been stopped at the entry points,” said a district official.Chaos peaked when a swarm of devotees stormed the cordon area during the Pahandi ritual of Lord Jagannath. Eager for a closer view of the deity, they breached the restricted zone, leaving police scrambling to restore order.Cordon passes, which grant proximity access to the inner and outer cordons of the chariots, are issued by the district collector to a wide range of people, including on‑duty officials, political representatives, temple servitors, media personnel, volunteers, and cultural performers.The administration’s caution this year stemmed from the 2025 festival, which faced unprecedented challenges when unrestricted pass distribution led to severe crowding near Lord Jagannath’s chariot. The congestion delayed the ceremonial chariot‑pulling ritual and drew sharp criticism over mismanagement.“Despite tighter controls in 2026, Thursday’s breach shows the continuing difficulty in enforcing the decision. There was jostling and shoving in the crowd, while those with access to dignitaries walked in unhindered. This disparity must end,” said Bhagaban Mahapatra, a social worker in Puri.
