From providing water to rushing devotees to health centres, volunteers steal the show

PURI: From distributing drinking water, glucose powder, biscuits and juice to taking the ailing devotees to nearby first-aid centres, the role of private volunteers mobilized in Rath Yatra here was noteworthy.
"This is my second participation in Rath Yatra. My specific duty was to distribute drinking water to the parched devotees in the searing heat. Many of my friends and seniors have been offering help to the devotees for several years. Their dedication to serve the people inspired me to join them," Sasmita Swain, a volunteer of Isswar organization in Cuttack, said.
Pramod Rath, a volunteer of Aditya Bahini organization in Puri, was seen providing water to the devotees as the mercury touched 34 degree Celsius. "Service to mankind is service to god," Rath said, adding, "I have been working as a volunteer since 2019. Helping the devotees gives me immense pleasure. I was also assigned to be part of a team to rush the ailing devotees to the nearby first-aid centres. We shifted nearly 30 devotees to the first-aid centres after they fainted in the intense heat." Ahead of the car festival, the Puri police formed a brigade of local volunteers to assist the cops in rendering public services to the devotees.