Odisha: People throng Puri on first day of New Year

Puri: Thousands thronged Odisha’s Puri today on the first day of new year to have darshan of deities at the Shree Jagannath Temple.

Doors of the temple were opened at 1 am in view of the large number of devotees visiting the shrine on the occasion of new year while darshan began at 2.15 am. All structures located within 75-metre radius of the temple have been demolished and the entire area has been beautifully decorated.

The old steel barricades at Lions Gate have been replaced with new ones. The administration has deployed 60 platoons of police force and 800 police officers to maintain law and order in the pilgrim town.

To regulate crowd movement, barricades have been raised for one-km-long stretch from Market Square to Lions Gate. This apart, free mobile phone and shoe stands have been set up near the temple.