Indian Railways has announced to run 365 special trains for devotees wishing to to be a part of the revered annual Rath Yatra festival in Puri, Odisha. The preparations for the Puri Rath Yatra are in full swing and to manage the surge of pilgrims, the railways has decided to run these special trains. The trains will connect the holy city of Puri with all prime states including West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and Jharkhand, among others.
The main motive behind this move is to accommodate thousands and lakhs of devotees who will visit the city to be a part of the grand procession of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra. These special trains will operate under the East Coast Railway (ECoR) zone.
State Government initiatives
In addition, the Odisha government has inaugurated many other initiatives to ensure smooth run of the nine-day festival. One of the prime features include the INR 5 lakh insurance cover for each registered devotee within Puri municipality along with those who participated in earlier rituals like the Chandan Yatra. This welfare scheme is part of a broader package to improve safety and comfort of the pilgrims.
The government is expecting a crowd of more than five lakh devotees. The state is planning to deploy 70 police platoons, anti-terrorist squads and bomb disposal teams. There will also be special tactical units and drones for aerial surveillance.
All the major regions will have AI-powered CCTV cameras and police have also introduced community outreach programs in local neighborhoods (sahis) to help with the traffic.
When it comes to healthcare, more than 300 doctors and emergency health teams will be stationed at all strategic points in and around the temple town. Temporary hospitals, ambulances, and mobile medical units will ensure rapid response during any emergencies.
About the revered chariot
The process of chariot construction began in April on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya. Rare trees such as phassi and dhausa were used to build chariots, and by the start of June, more than 80% of the work was completed. The chariots—Nandighosa, Taladhwaja, and Darpadalana—are built every year by temple carpenters. It is a centuries-old ritual.
Date of the event
The main event, Rath Yatra will start on June 27, 2025. It is the day when all the deities will be taken out from the Jagannath Temple and will be carried to the Gundicha Temple, which is about 3 km away.
With the introduction of new special trains, the railways hope to efficiently manage the event by making it widely accessible.
The main motive behind this move is to accommodate thousands and lakhs of devotees who will visit the city to be a part of the grand procession of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra. These special trains will operate under the East Coast Railway (ECoR) zone.
State Government initiatives
In addition, the Odisha government has inaugurated many other initiatives to ensure smooth run of the nine-day festival. One of the prime features include the INR 5 lakh insurance cover for each registered devotee within Puri municipality along with those who participated in earlier rituals like the Chandan Yatra. This welfare scheme is part of a broader package to improve safety and comfort of the pilgrims.
The government is expecting a crowd of more than five lakh devotees. The state is planning to deploy 70 police platoons, anti-terrorist squads and bomb disposal teams. There will also be special tactical units and drones for aerial surveillance.
All the major regions will have AI-powered CCTV cameras and police have also introduced community outreach programs in local neighborhoods (sahis) to help with the traffic.
When it comes to healthcare, more than 300 doctors and emergency health teams will be stationed at all strategic points in and around the temple town. Temporary hospitals, ambulances, and mobile medical units will ensure rapid response during any emergencies.
About the revered chariot
Date of the event
The main event, Rath Yatra will start on June 27, 2025. It is the day when all the deities will be taken out from the Jagannath Temple and will be carried to the Gundicha Temple, which is about 3 km away.
With the introduction of new special trains, the railways hope to efficiently manage the event by making it widely accessible.
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