In the wake of ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by various business and trade organisations to pay tributes to the 43 brave hearts of CRPF killed in Puluwama terror strike, the pilgrim city observed a dawn to dusk ‘shutter off’ on Tuesday. Shops and business establishments in Puri remained shut, with people’s movement in the city was almost thin.
Hundreds of youngsters with tri-colour flags in hand made a bike rally from the Gundicha temple to the sea beach in protest against the terror strike on CRPF jawans.
Raising ‘Vande Mataram’ and anti-Pak slogans, they visited the entire street to show off solidarity to the martyrs.
Besides, cycles and two-wheelers, buses and taxies were off road completely in both the Puri-Bhubaneswar and Puri-Satpada national highways. Tourist professionals in Puri and Satapada also observed cease works for the day. All the Government offices, schools and colleges in the city were locked with lawyers of Puri Bar Association refraining from court works.
The Badadanda (holy Grand Road) witnessed a nearly deserted look with movement of few people on the road. The entry of pilgrims into the Jagannath Temple was very thin compared to a normal day that was due to stop of bus services to the city. However, railway services were normal on Puri-Khurda line with all trains scheduled for the day having entered the platform and departed as usual.