Puri Begins Rath Yatra Countdown with Sacred Snan Yatra, 70 Police Platoons on Duty

The holy city of Puri is fully prepared for the Snan Yatra , the ceremonial bathing festival of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra , scheduled for Monday, with the Odisha government and temple authorities making elaborate arrangements to ensure the smooth conduct of the event ahead of the annual Rath Yatra.

Regarded as one of the most significant rituals in the Jagannath tradition, the Snan Yatra , also known as Deva Snana Purnima , marks the ceremonial birthday of the sibling deities. Devotees from across the country have already begun arriving in Puri to witness the sacred festivities.

The ceremonial Pahandi procession, during which the deities are carried from the sanctum to the Snan Mandap , is scheduled to take place between 5 am and 7 am . The idols will then be bathed with 108 pitchers of sacred water by temple priests in full public view. Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee said servitors have been instructed to complete all rituals according to schedule and are working with devotion to ensure the successful conduct of the festival.

To manage the expected surge in pilgrims, the Puri district administration has declared a holiday for schools within the Puri Municipal Corporation area. Meanwhile, police have deployed 70 platoons of personnel for security, crowd control and traffic management across the city.

Officials said the city is under round-the-clock CCTV surveillance , with advanced security measures including Quick Action Teams (QATs), sniffer dog squads, rooftop surveillance, Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) monitoring, anti-sabotage checks and marine security . Senior police officers and specialised units have also been stationed at key locations to ensure public safety.

Additional Director General of Police Soumendra Priyadarshi , who is overseeing security for the Rath Yatra festivities, said all security and logistical arrangements were completed by Sunday evening. Following the bathing ritual, the deities will enter the traditional Anasara period, remaining out of public view for 15 days before reappearing during the annual Rath Yatra. The Snan Yatra is also the only occasion each year when the main idols are brought out of the temple's sanctum sanctorum, drawing thousands of devotees eager to seek their blessings before the period of seclusion begins.