Ahmedabad: The annual Rath Yatra procession – which was carried out at the place of the temple last year because of a pandemic – will be carried out on empty streets accompanied by a police convoy on Monday morning.
Compared to 12 strange hours needed for the train to return to the temple, the procession will be completed in 4-5 hours due to curfew, organizers said.
It will be for the first time in decades that the procession will not have a Bhajan group, Akhadas, or Tableaux that accompanies the train.
Some of the leaders of these groups visited the temple on Sundays and looked for blessings from the gods.
“The RT-PCR test results from 139 seafarers and the Sadhus who will participate in the procession arrived on Sundays, and all have been tested negatively for Covid-19,” said a temple official.
“The procession will only have five vehicles including three trains drawn by seafarers and cars with Mahant Dilipasji and Wordee Mahendra Jha.” On Sundays, hundreds of worshipers attacked the temple to see the ‘Sona Vesh’ (Gold Clothing) of God which lasted only once a year.
The train was brought into the location of the temple by sailors when decking was started by worshipers.
Elephant decked-up was also brought into a temple place after they were painted by Mahout and Voluntary Artists.
With fresh spells of rain on Sunday night, the authorities are expected to review the waterlogging on the route because the train will roll over after the Ritual of Pahind by CM Vijay Rupani and the Deputy CM Nitin Patel at 7 am Monday.
The temple authority has announced that the Green Green Green Prasad will grow to worshipers after the procession of the temple for the next two weeks.