PURI: With the safety and security of pilgrims being of paramount significance, the police on Saturday kept devotees at hands duration whilst they themselves pulled the chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings - Balabhadra and Subhadra - during the Rath Yatra in Puri on Saturday.
Those who had was hoping to get up just about the chariots, and there were many, were left crestfallen once they were denied a possibility to tug the ropes - regarded as to convey excellent fortune and absolve devotees of their sins.
"It was my first visit to Puri and I had come to take part in the pulling of the chariot. But I was crestfallen when policemen prevented me from pulling the chariots. I could not even touch the chariots," rued Prabodh Sharma, who had come all the way from Jaipur in Rajasthan.
Ramadas Achari from Sundargarh district was similarly dissatisfied. "The deities were so near, yet so far. I was standing just 30 metres from the chariot of Lord Jagannath. But I could not touch the ropes as police had cordoned off the rath," Achari mentioned.
Police mentioned that over the last few years they have got not been allowing devotees to return just about the chariots to steer clear of stampede. "Earlier, only devotees used to pull the chariots and that would lead to chaos and stampede. Lakhs of people, including the elderly, would jostle with each other to pull the chariots or touch the ropes. We prevented them from doing so because we had to keep their safety in mind," a senior police officer instructed TOI requesting anonymity.
On Thursday, the group of workers of state police and rapid motion force (RAF) carried out a mock rehearsal of pulling the chariots at the reserve police flooring in Puri. Using three jeeps as chariots, the law enforcement officials tied ropes to the automobiles and pulled those. "We do not want to hurt the sentiments of people. We realise their devotion. But we have been instructed to prevent any mishap," mentioned Sanjay Lal, a RAF officer.
Amid the constraints, only some devotees were fortunate sufficient to touch the ropes and pull the chariots. "A large number of devotees were seen picking up threads that had snapped from the thick and sturdy ropes from the ground after chariot pulling. I may not have been fortunate to pull the ropes. But I am lucky to have got a piece of the rope," mentioned Sandhya Tripathy, a devotee from Balasore.
The temple administration used to import the coir ropes from Kerala Coir Board. But for the previous 9 years, the ropes are being provided through the Odisha Cooperative Coir Corporation. Each rope is 220-ft long, 8 inches in diameter and weighs about 130 kg.
Those who had was hoping to get up just about the chariots, and there were many, were left crestfallen once they were denied a possibility to tug the ropes - regarded as to convey excellent fortune and absolve devotees of their sins.
"It was my first visit to Puri and I had come to take part in the pulling of the chariot. But I was crestfallen when policemen prevented me from pulling the chariots. I could not even touch the chariots," rued Prabodh Sharma, who had come all the way from Jaipur in Rajasthan.
Ramadas Achari from Sundargarh district was similarly dissatisfied. "The deities were so near, yet so far. I was standing just 30 metres from the chariot of Lord Jagannath. But I could not touch the ropes as police had cordoned off the rath," Achari mentioned.
Police mentioned that over the last few years they have got not been allowing devotees to return just about the chariots to steer clear of stampede. "Earlier, only devotees used to pull the chariots and that would lead to chaos and stampede. Lakhs of people, including the elderly, would jostle with each other to pull the chariots or touch the ropes. We prevented them from doing so because we had to keep their safety in mind," a senior police officer instructed TOI requesting anonymity.
On Thursday, the group of workers of state police and rapid motion force (RAF) carried out a mock rehearsal of pulling the chariots at the reserve police flooring in Puri. Using three jeeps as chariots, the law enforcement officials tied ropes to the automobiles and pulled those. "We do not want to hurt the sentiments of people. We realise their devotion. But we have been instructed to prevent any mishap," mentioned Sanjay Lal, a RAF officer.
Amid the constraints, only some devotees were fortunate sufficient to touch the ropes and pull the chariots. "A large number of devotees were seen picking up threads that had snapped from the thick and sturdy ropes from the ground after chariot pulling. I may not have been fortunate to pull the ropes. But I am lucky to have got a piece of the rope," mentioned Sandhya Tripathy, a devotee from Balasore.
The temple administration used to import the coir ropes from Kerala Coir Board. But for the previous 9 years, the ropes are being provided through the Odisha Cooperative Coir Corporation. Each rope is 220-ft long, 8 inches in diameter and weighs about 130 kg.
Police turn charioteers
![Police turn charioteers]()
Reviewed by Kailash
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July 15, 2018
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