Puri: Thousands of tourists have thronged this pilgrim-cum-tourist town to welcome the New Year and spent their winter vacation.
The tourist traffic has been increasing every hour as four-wheeler vehicles were making a bee line to enter into the city, while others came by regular and special trains.
The small town is almost full with the visitors as most of the revelers want to remain on beach to welcome the New Year from the abode of lord Jagannath and offer prayers to the Sun God.
Anticipating heavy rush, the Sri Jagannath temple administration rescheduled the daily rituals of the deities.
As per the temple announcement Sunday the temple closed by 9 pm and would be opened for public at 2 am Monday to facilitate darshan of the deities by the pilgrims.
Hundreds of hoteliers especially located alongside the beach have made special entertainment programmes and announced special cuisines and orchestra in their hotels.
The police had a tough time to regulate the traffic while it was on toes as the Chief Minister Naveen Patnik is scheduled to visit the temple at 11.30 am Monday to offer prayers to the trinity of Sri Jaannath temple on the New Year, offer floral tributes to his late father Biju Pattnaik Samadhi at Swargdwar burning ghat and inaugurate the ‘Sanskruti Bhavan’ the first one in the 2018 Monday.
This apart, Jagatguru Sankaracharya has decried the celebration of English New Year and emphasised on observance of Hindu New Year. Activists of Aditya Vahini the youth wing of Sankaracharya mutt have announced to stage silent protest demonstrations on the New Year in front of the Sri Jagannath temple and other religious centers.
The tourist on the beach were enjoying camel and sea rides on sea bikes and boats and bathing in the sea. The administration have placed hundreds of life guards along the beach line to help the visitors enjoy the sea surfing.
Fifty platoons of police personnel have been engaged on duty. Long barricades have been raised in front of the Sri jagannth temple main gate for smooth conduct of the pilgrims while special police teams were deployed to frisk the devotees and let them pass through the metal detector gates.
Security arrangements were also made at Konark, Ramchandi, Harchandi and Chilika Lake where tourists gathered in large numbers enjoying boat ride.
UNI