Bhubaneswar, 01 January (H.S.) Lakhs of devotees thronged the holy town of Puri on Thursday to welcome the New Year 2026 with darshan of Lord Jagannath, marking the occasion with prayers and spiritual devotion.

The pilgrimage town witnessed a massive influx of devotees from the early hours of the day. The Shree Jagannath Temple opened its gates at 1.32 am, allowing early entry for worshippers. To ensure smooth movement, devotees were permitted entry only through the Singhadwar (Lion’s Gate), while darshan inside the temple was facilitated from the Bahara Katha.

Anticipating heavy footfall, the district administration put in place elaborate crowd management measures along the Bada Danda. Temporary mobile phone and footwear deposit counters were set up to streamline the flow of devotees and prevent congestion near the temple premises.

Security arrangements were made across the town to maintain law and order. Strict surveillance was enforced from Atharanala to the sea beach, with police personnel deployed at all strategic locations. Nearly 70 platoons of security forces were stationed across Puri, while traffic movement and crowd flow were closely monitored throughout the day.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda