Despite intense heat and high humidity in Odisha, thousands of devotees gathered at the Puri Srimandir on Sunday to have darshan of Lord Jagannath and the Sibling Deities. Long queues formed along the Grand Road as pilgrims patiently waited for several hours to enter the temple.
Many devotees took precautions against the scorching sun by wearing caps and scarves while making their way barefoot toward the shrine. The hot surface of the road posed challenges, with some pilgrims, including an elderly man, briefly resting on barricades to avoid the heated ground.
To ease the discomfort caused by the heatwave, water was sprayed on parts of the road to lower surface temperatures. Additionally, drinking water stations were set up at various points along the queue to help pilgrims cope with the prolonged waiting times.
The district administration managed the steady flow of visitors amid the prevailing summer conditions, which have brought sustained high temperatures and humidity to the region. Further official updates on arrangements and crowd management at the temple are awaited.
This local update is prepared from publicly available information. Readers should verify critical details from official communication where necessary.