Puri: Odisha police has put in place elaborate security arrangements here for Snan Purnima festival of Lord Jagannath and His siblings scheduled on Monday.
“Three commandants, 9 Deputy Commandants or ASPs, 37 Inspectors, 16 DSPs, 225 officers, 42 platoon police and 550 home guards have been deployed for Snan Yatra,” said IG (Central Range) Soumendra Priyadarshi here on Sunday after taking stock of the security arrangements.
Puri SP Umashankar Das and other senior police officials were also present and briefed the top cop about the parking arrangements too.
Snan Purnima is a major ritual before the annual Rath Yatra, scheduled to begin on July 4.
On Snan Purnima or yatra, the deities undergo holy shower with 108-pitcher aromatic water on Snan Mandap situated near Anand Bazaar. Following the holy bath, the sibling deities give darshan to lakhs of devotees in Gaja Besha or Hati Besha (elephant attire) on the Snan Bedi (bathing stage of deities) situated near Ananda Bazaar on premises of the Jagannath Temple
Thousands of people throng the pilgrim city every year to take glimpse of the deities in Hati Besa.
