A comprehensive review meeting was held under the chairmanship of Law, Works, and Excise Minister Prithviraj Harichandan to ensure the successful and orderly conduct of Lord Lingaraj Mahaprabhu’s Jagar Yatra. The meeting involved representatives from various departments, temple committees, and servitors.
Presiding over the session at the conference room of the Law Department in Lok Seva Bhawan, Minister Harichandan emphasised that grand festivals like the Jagar Yatra cannot be accomplished through individual efforts alone.
“It requires the collective involvement of servitors, committees, officials and staff from various departments, district administration, police, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, fire services, and even the media,” he stated. He stressed the importance of executing all rituals in a timely and disciplined manner, from devotees’ orderly darshan to the lifting of the Mahadeep. The minister also sought cooperation from all stakeholders and directed strict action against servitors or others holding fake passes during the yatra.
The Jagar Yatra of Lord Lingaraj attracts not only devotees from across Odisha and India but also Shiva followers from around the world. Therefore, the meeting focused on making the event a global success through detailed discussions on various arrangements.
Key topics covered included temple premises cleaning, lighting, barricading, parking facilities, sanitation, drinking water supply, adequate shading and ventilation for devotees’ safety, fire safety measures, crowd and traffic management, decoration of the temple and surrounding areas, establishment of a control room, CCTV surveillance, and smooth broadcasting through media channels. Special emphasis was placed on maintaining discipline in rituals and darshan, along with enhanced security for devotees.
The meeting was attended by Bhubaneswar Ekamra MLA Babu Singh, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Mayor Sulochana Das, Law Department Principal Secretary Dr. Pabitra Mohan Samal, Endowment Commissioner Lalatendu Jena, Twin City Additional Police Commissioner Narasingh Bhol, Khordha District Collector Amrit Ruturaj, Bhubaneswar Additional District Collector Ramesh Kumar Jena, Law Department Additional Secretary Shiba Prasad Mahapatra, Excise Department Additional Secretary Rudra Narayan Mohanty, along with representatives from the temple committees, servitors, Archaeological Survey of India, Works Department, Information and Public Relations Department, TPCODL, WATCO, CRUT, Capital Hospital, and other senior officials.
