The Odisha Police successfully managed the Shravan month pilgrim rush, ensuring safe darshan for more than 34 lakh devotees across 452 major Shaiva shrines in 35 police districts.
Extensive security, traffic, and crowd management arrangements were made during the four Shravan Mondays. Notably, no major law‑and‑order issues or stampede‑like incidents were reported.
Police forces were deployed as per crowd estimates at key shrines in Balangir, Baleshwar, Koraput, and Central Range (including Lokanath, Jodling Shiva, Balikapileswar, and Dhabaleswar temples). Advance traffic advisories were issued before each Monday, with restrictions applied in sensitive areas to ensure smooth movement.
Special crowd control teams and Quick Response Teams were kept on alert, while separate arrangements were made for women, senior citizens, children, and differently‑abled devotees. Emergency vehicle movement was kept uninterrupted at critical points like Gadagadia Ghat and Madhusudan Setu.
Interim Director General of Police Vinaytosh Mishra praised the coordinated efforts of range officers, district SPs, and their teams, noting that well‑planned strategy, inter‑range coordination, and public cooperation ensured a peaceful conclusion to Shravan month observances.
