Over one lakh visitors thronged the city to be a part of the annual Bali yatra festival that got off to a colourful start.
Over 40 platoons of police have been deployed to maintain law and order. For the first time, the cops have installed public address system, so that any untoward incidents such as stampede could be avoided.
Closed-circuit television cameras have also been installed at strategic locations, and a special team has been formed to put a check on incidents of eve teasing and pick pocketing.
A sand art replica depicting the Nabakalebar of Lord Jagannath and His siblings, created by sand artist Pramod Patnaik, welcomed the visitors. Apart from this, another sand art based on Clean India campaign was also there. The artist used over 100 tonnes of sand to create them at the Bali yatra ground.