Bhubaneswar, July 17: Odisha Police on Friday urged aged devotees and those suffering from health issues to avoid visiting Puri during the ongoing Rath Yatra, citing the massive influx of pilgrims to the coastal town.

The Director General of Police (DGP), Odisha, Y.B. Khurania appealed to devotees not to bring children under one and two years of age for darshan of the holy siblings, stressing that the advisory was issued in the interest of their safety and well‑being.

“The Bada Danda is crowded. Lakhs of devotees are present on the Grand Road and in Puri town. Large numbers of people are thronging to Puri from various directions. The festival ambience appears cheerful and vibrant,” Khurania said, while emphasising the need for caution in such dense gatherings. He advised devotees to follow police advisories issued from time to time and strictly abide by instructions. Elaborate arrangements have been put in place to ensure smooth conduct of the Rath Yatra festival this year.

Meanwhile, Puri district police have arrested 103 snatchers and seized 203 mobile phones stolen from devotees in a special anti‑snatching drive during the festival. Extensive security arrangements have been deployed to prevent snatching, pickpocketing and other property‑related crimes.

Special police teams are maintaining round‑the‑clock surveillance at Bada Danda, the Shree Jagannath Temple precincts, the beach, bus stand, railway station, parking areas and other crowded locations. With the help of CCTV cameras, modern equipment and intelligence inputs, suspicious persons are being identified and arrested promptly.

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Police have appealed to devotees to remain vigilant about mobile phones, wallets, ornaments and other valuables in crowded places. On Friday, lakhs of devotees pulled the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra near Gundicha Temple on the second day of the Rath Yatra.

The chariots had remained halted midway after pulling was suspended on Thursday evening for safety reasons. The deities will be taken to the Gundicha Temple in the ceremonial Pahandi Bije ritual on Saturday, while devotees had darshan of the holy triad on their respective chariots on Friday.