PURI, Jan 9 : About 120 platoons of police force will be deployed to provide security for the VIP guests and for smooth management of the inauguration ceremony of Sri Mandir Parikrama Project to be inaugurated here on January 17.
Puri will be transformed into a fortress as this time the police deployment surpasses all earlier arrangements like Suna Vesha and Rath Yatra of lord Jagannath and his siblings.
Maximum 95 platoons were deployed in the last Suna Vesha of the deities held on the three chariots
VIPs will be given special police protection. Several police outposts will be made operational in the Sea Beach area besides patrolling in the town.The Blue flag beach is being given a face lift to present a new look by creating landscapes and other beautification work. Vendors in the beach will be relocated in a vending cluster.
Puri District Collector Samarth Verma told media persons that work of Srimandir parikrama corridor, Sri Setu (Trumpet bridge) and Sri Danda are almost completed.
He said about one km. new road parallel to the Badadanda named as “Sri Danda” has been created from Jagannath Ballav multilevel parking place to the Simhadwar to minimise crowd load on the Badadanda.
Devotees coming in vehicles from Bhubaneswar and Brahmagiri areas have to go through the Sri Setu bypass and will arrive at the Jagannath Ballav parking place.They will use Sri Danda, the shortest route to the Sri Mandir, he added.
All the agencies engaged in execution of the work have been asked to hand over the work before January 12 positively, the collector said.
Important places in the town like Swargdwar and other religious shrines have given a face lift and all the buildings facing the Badadanda have been painted with ivory colour.
In the meanwhile the Gajapati, the chairman of the temple managing body and the Temple chief administrator had met the Swami Nischalananda Saraswati ,the Sankaracharya of Puri Gobardhan peeth at Raipur and invited him to grace the inauguration ceremony of Sri Mandir Parikrama.
Sources said Swamiji is yet to take a decision.
From Monday the invitations will be served to the temples and religious institutions located in the town and suburbs. Almost all the teams who were sent to invite priests of important shrines of the state have meanwhile returned.
Top officials of various concerned departments of the state including the chief secretary are monitoring the development on a day to day basis.
On Tuesday, Revenue Divisional Commissioner Suresh Chandra Dalai reviewed the progress.
According to the temple release the preliminary work for the yajna will begin on January 12 The Gajapati will entrust holy betel to 108 Shrotriya Brahmins to perform the yajna.
On the same day Brahmins will perform “Ankura Ropan ”, followed by Ankura pujan on January 13 morning. On January 14 the laying of Mandalas and on January 15 the main yajna will begin from the early morning and will end on January 17 with offering of Purna ahuti by the Gajapati king Dibyasingh Dev in between 1.30pm to 2.25pm.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will then dedicate the Sri Mandir parikrama for the devotees. (UNI)
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