Photos: Puri gears up for Jagannath Rath Yatra

With barely a day left for the much-awaited Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and his siblings in Puri on Monday, the government is pulling out all stops to ensure that preparations are completed on time (Photo: Sarat Patra/TNN)

Security has been stepped up in the pilgrim town ahead of the nine-day festival (Photo: Sarat Patra/TNN)

Sixty-five platoons of forces will be deployed in Puri, which has been divided into 12 zones (Photo: Sarat Patra/TNN)

Four of the 12 zones will be between the Jagannath Temple and the Gundicha Temple (Photo: Sarat Patra/TNN)

Elaborate security arrangements will be made at the three entry points to the city (Photo: Sarat Patra/TNN)

People will be prohibited from coming to the Grand Road, which leads up to the 12th century shrine (Photo: Sarat Patra/TNN)

Guests have been asked to vacate 41 hotels and lodges along the Grand Road (Photo: Sarat Patra/TNN)

No devotee will be allowed to stand on rooftops or balconies along the Grand Road or Bada Danda, as it is referred to by Puri residents (Photo: Sarat Patra/TNN)

The Puri district administration has started vacating the hotels and lodges along the Bada Danda (Photo: Sarat Patra/TNN)

The weekend shutdown was relaxed on Saturday for people of Puri town (Photo: Sarat Patra/TNN)

While 236 households in the locality have been identified in which no guests will be allowed over the next three days (Photo: Sarat Patra/TNN)

Restrictions will also be imposed on the movement of vehicles along the road (Photo: Sarat Patra/TNN)

This is the second year in a row that Rath Yatra is being held without devotees (Photo: Sarat Patra/TNN)