Puri: Faith, relief and gratitude marked the mood outside the Gundicha Temple on Saturday as thousands of devotees queued up for darshan of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, who remained seated on their chariots amid the Rath Yatra festivities.Many pilgrims, soaked by the intermittent rain and tired from long journeys, described their darshan as a deeply emotional experience. For several elderly devotees, the visit was as much about spiritual fulfilment as it was about overcoming uncertainty and fear.Among them was 65-year-old Bhabini Pala of Bolagarh in Khurda district, who broke down moments after completing her darshan. Accompanied by her grandson, Pala said she had doubted whether she would be able to undertake the pilgrimage this year.“I thought I would not be able to come to Puri for darshan. Somehow, I got a bus ticket and travelled from Bolagarh to Puri. I do not know whether I will be alive next year, but this darshan has given me peace and tranquillity,” she said, wiping away her tears.For Chinamali Jena, an elderly devotee from Jatni, the journey to Puri came amid concern and apprehension. Disturbed by reports of deaths during the Rath Yatra rush, she said her family had initially worried about her travelling to the pilgrim town.“With my son’s help, I could come and pray before the deities. All my fear and anxiety faded when I looked into the eyes of Lord Jagannath,” Jena said.Despite the massive turnout, devotees largely experienced an orderly darshan. Security arrangements were tightened around the three chariots, with police personnel deployed in large numbers near the Gundicha Temple. Barricades and designated access routes helped regulate the movement of pilgrims and prevent overcrowding.Police officials said crowd management measures were planned with extra caution in view of last year’s stampede near the temple during darshan. This year, devotees were able to move in a regulated manner and offer prayers without major disruption despite the steady stream of pilgrims through the day, said SP (Puri) Prateek Singh.
