AHMEDABAD, July 10, 2013: Today, wave upon ebullient wave of the devout will flood the city roads to catch a glimpse of Jagannathji, the lord of the world, as the annual RathYatra rolls out. The god's chariot will be joined by those of lord Balram and goddess Subhadra.

As artisans started bedecking the chariots from Tuesday afternoon, the city police conducted final drills to ensure safe passage for the festive procession.

"Every Rath Yatra is significant to us as it reflects the bond between the deity and devotees," says Mahendra Jha, trustee of Jagannathji Temple in Jamalpur. "Over the years, we have made several changes - right from chariot design to the introduction of live video-streaming of the procession. What has not changed is the adulation the divinities receive. Lakhs of devotees pour on to the streets to greet the Holy Trinity and get their blessings, braving heat or rain."

On eve of the yatra, chief minister Narendra Modi visited the temple and performed the traditional puja. For his visit, the lights-festooned shrine was turned into a fortress. Modi inspected the chariots and the preparations for the procession. Thousands of devotees have thronged the premises over the past three days just to revel in the mood and to donate generously for the prasad that will be distributed to devotees.

For police, the big day has come. M K Nayak, deputy commissioner of police (control), told TOI that a multi-screen wall has been set up at the main control room at the commissioner's office. There, officials will keep an eye on the chariots with the help of GPS; 70 CCTVs installed along the route; and 25 vehicles mounted with cameras. Senior city police officials stated that the officers in charge of specific areas were briefed on Tuesday evening about what to expect on the yatra day and what various teams should work towards. While Jamalpur chowky has been converted into a makeshift control room, the state control room will function from the Shahibaug annex where senior state police officials and political leaders will monitor the situation in the state.

For the yatra, the biggest procession in Gujarat, the security deployment includes 36 IPS officers; 646 police officers; 640 officers under probation, 8,500 constables, 4,500 home guards; and 4,000 SRP jawans. For the first time, the state police will use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for surveillance which will send photographs every half hour to the control room.

Source: The Times of India, DT. July 10, 2013.