Thousands of devotees thronged the Srimandir on Sunday despite prevailing heatwave conditions, with long queues forming along the Grand Road (Bada Danda) for darshan of Lord Jagannath and the Sibling Deities.

The heavy footfall came even as high temperatures and oppressive humidity continued to affect large parts of Odisha. Devotees were seen waiting for several hours in queues outside the temple as authorities managed the steady inflow of pilgrims.

Devotees Brave Hot Weather For Darshan

Large numbers of devotees gathered on the Grand Road from the early hours of the day. Many were seen wearing caps and scarves to shield themselves from the heat while proceeding towards the temple.

With the temperature remaining high, pilgrims faced prolonged waiting periods before entering the shrine. Reports indicated that water was sprayed on sections of the road to reduce surface temperatures and provide some relief to devotees walking barefoot towards the temple.

One elderly devotee was seen standing on a barricade for a brief period after finding the road surface too hot to walk on.

“I am here to have darshan of Lord Jagannath. I have come here with a group of people. I could not walk on the heated road, so I climbed onto the barricade to rest my feet for a short while,” he said.

Measures Taken For Pilgrim Convenience

According to reports, the district administration arranged drinking water facilities at locations where devotees were queuing for darshan.

The arrangements were made as heatwave conditions and high humidity continued to prevail in the pilgrim town, resulting in longer waiting times for visitors arriving at the temple.

Odisha has been experiencing intense summer conditions over the past several days, with both daytime temperatures and humidity levels remaining high.