United News Of India
Puri, Dec 29: The holy city is bustling with pilgrims and tourists days before the New Year.
Almost all hotels, lodging houses, holiday homes and government accommodations display ‘House Full’ notices. The season was prime time for all connected with the hospitality industry – from temple priests to the travel agents and tour operators. Even the beggars earn more this month.
The non-star hotels of the city have doubled their human resources to serve the rising tourist flow while many unscrupulous hoteliers have raised their room rent.
Tourist spots like Chilika lake – Satpara, Ramchandi, Harchandi and Konark— are experiencing heavy rush of visitors. The boat owners at Chilika too have increased their hiring fees to a great extent. A large number of tourists flock to see dolphins in the lake.
The beach too provides some extra entertainment in the form of exhibition of sand art by at least ten sand artists. Hundreds of hands operate delicately on sand every day to create their choicest images in the sand.
The Jagannath temple administration, anticipating increasing pilgrim traffic, has geared up all its resources for timely observance of rituals.
According to temple Public Relations Officer LD Pujapanda, the one way entry system has been enforced for smooth conduct of pilgrims. Special drive was being conducted to maintain hygiene of the complex while policing has been beefed up.
Forty-even platoons of armed police personnel have been deployed in and around the temple and the city to ensure safety of visitors during the New Year, informed superintendent of police Asish Kumar Singh. Pilgrims and visitors are being frisked and made to pass through metal detector gates before entering the temple.
The vendors along the grand road were relocated to facilitate the pilgrim traffic.
The area between the Marichikot to temple main gate has been made ‘no vending and parking’ zone by the police. CCTV cameras have been installed at strategic places to monitor the crowd movement, the SP said.