Nabarangpur: A preparatory meeting for the 2025 Rath Yatra was held in the Mission Shakti Conference Hall, Nabarangpur. The meeting was chaired by Additional District Collector Bishwajit Bartaman.
According to Raj Purohit Narasingha Nath Tripathy, the Pahandi (ceremonial procession of deities) will begin at 9:30 AM. A detailed schedule has been finalized for all rituals. On the day of the Rath Yatra, only Mangalam Timber Road will be used for the chariot procession. While the deities remain on the chariot, traffic will be rerouted through Mangalam Timber Bypass, Dashahara Pada Square, Rajusahi Ganesh Temple, and Sadashiva Park Square. Small vehicles will be diverted via New Bandha Sahi and Rajusahi roads, as informed by the police department.
Nabarangpur Police Station Officer Sambit Kumar Behera has been entrusted with managing city traffic control during the yatra. There will be a temporary power cut during the chariot pulling on Rath Yatra and Bahuda Yatra days. However, due to heavy crowds expected near Gundicha Temple in the evening, the TPSODL department has been instructed to ensure uninterrupted power supply during that time.
District Information and Public Relations Officer Manoj Kumar Behera has been assigned to provide media bulletins and updates on the day of the event.
Among the attendees were:
Tehsildar and Executive Officer of Endowment Department Kailash Chandra Tripathy
MP Representative Kishori Pattnaik
MLA Representative A. Suresh Shastri
Endowment Committee Chairperson Jhadeshwar Khadenga
Raj Purohit Narasingha Nath Tripathy
Endowment Committee Advisors: Jagannath Choudhury, Tapas Tripathy, Gauranga Patra, Naresh Kumar Tripathy, Saroj Patra, Bhawani Shankar Shatapathi
ITDA PA Rajeev Kumar Sahu
Nabarangpur SDPO Krushna Chandra Bheetara
Police Station Officer Sambit Kumar Behera
Information and Public Relations Officer Manoj Kumar Behera
Other notable attendees included many district-level officials, prominent social worker Jagannath Mahapatra, AIB Vijay Kumar Majhi, Head Clerk of Endowment Department Gagan Saur, Manoranjan Tripathy, Santosh Sahu, Shridhar Patra, and A. Satish, along with a large number of the general public.