Security beefed up in Puri ahead of chariot festival of Lord Jagannath as Jihadi terror threat looms large.
HENB | Puri | July 17, 2015:: The Administration in Puri city of Odisha is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the annual chariot festival of the presiding deities of the famed Lord Jagannath temple goes uninterrupted, amid Jihadi terror threat. Paramilitary forces including the country’s elite National Security Guard (NSG) are guarding the temple and its vicinity in view of the terror threat.
The annual chariot festival at the temple is celebrated on a massive scale and is likely to be attended by over 2 million people from across the world. The second largest chariot festival is celebrated in Gujarat. On Saturday (July 18), during the procession, the Jagannath triads will be brought out of the temple for public viewing. Puri District Collector Aravind Aggarwal said that the administration was prepared to tackle terror threats from any sides.
The festival will witness the deployment of a 10,000 strong police contingent while the marine police and Coast Guard are keeping an eye on the seas for any suspicious movements.
Jihadi groups belonging to various fanatic Islamic schools always try to harm and hamper the Hindu festivals in India.
Puri, the holy city of Lord Jagannath has been stalled as a cantonment so far. Lakhs of devotees has already reached Puri. They are also facing a multiple checking and scanning by metal detectors for security reasons.
It is told that 5000 CCTV points have been arranged in and out of the Puri city to detect any untoward activities of anybody so far.
__With special inputs from ANI.