Gujarat: 25,000 police personnel to secure Jagannath Rath Yatra on July 1

The police will also install face-detection cameras to identify and nab anti-social elements roaming in the processions route, Sanghavi said.Traditionally, the procession, led by chariots, would start early around 7 am from the 400-year-old temple in Jamalpur area of the city and return by 8 pm after roaming in the old city, including some communally sensitive areas.The procession usually has 18 elephants, 100 trucks, and 30 akhadas local gymnasiums, which will cover a distance of 15 km during the day.

At least 25,000 security personnel will be deployed for the 145th Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra to be held in Ahmedabad on July 1, Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi said on Thursday. A full-fledged rath yatra is being organised in the city after a gap of two years, as this mega religious event was held in a restricted manner in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As many as 25,000 men and women from the regular police, reserve police and central armed police will be deployed at strategic locations in the city to guard the rath yatra, Sanghavi said.

This force of 25,000 personnel includes eight DGPs or inspector general rank officers, 30 superintendent of police rank officers and 135 assistant commissioner of police rank officers, he said.

''Apart from the regular constabulary, we will deploy 68 companies of the State Reserve Police and Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) to maintain law and order during the rath yatra,'' Sanghavi told reporters here.

The minister was at the city's crime branch office to review the preparations of the police for the event.

''We will also use technology for surveillance. We will keep a watch using body-worn cameras linked to the control room and drones. The police will also install face-detection cameras to identify and nab anti-social elements roaming in the procession's route,'' Sanghavi said.

Traditionally, the procession, led by chariots, would start early around 7 am from the 400-year-old temple in Jamalpur area of the city and return by 8 pm after roaming in the old city, including some communally sensitive areas.

The procession usually has 18 elephants, 100 trucks, and 30 akhadas (local gymnasiums), which will cover a distance of 15 km during the day. The raths of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra will be pulled by Khalashi community as per the age-old tradition.

Lakhs of people gather on both sides of the entire route to catch a glimpse of the deity.

In 2020, only a symbolic rath yatra was organised in the premises of the Lord Jagannath temple, after the Gujarat High Court denied permission for the usual public procession in light of the pandemic.

Last year, only three chariots and two other vehicles had covered the entire route and returned without the usual festivity, as no other vehicle, singing troupes, akhadas, elephants or decorated trucks were permitted.