BHUBANESWAR: With the Odisha government on Thursday announcing 2020-like restrictions on the celebration of Rath Yatra in Puri owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the state’s biggest festival will be devoid of its scale and grandeur for the second consecutive year, much to the disappointment of devotees.
The nine-day festival is set to begin on July 12.
Special relief commissioner (SRC) Pradeep Kumar Jena said, “In view of the second wave of the Covid-19, the government has decided to allow Rath Yatra only in Puri, in compliance with the restrictions imposed by the Supreme Court last year.
Rath Yatra will not be allowed in other places.
Only Rath-related rituals can be performed inside the temples in other places without the participation of devotees.
Unlike Puri, chariots will not be allowed to be pulled at other places.” According to the SRC’s order, only a limited number of servitors and duty-bound police, temple and government officials will be allowed to conduct the Rath Yatra in Puri after they furnish their RT-PCR negative reports or certificates of the full doses of the vaccines having been administered to them.
Like last year, the chariots will be pulled by the servitors, police personnel or the government employees on Rath duty.
Each of the three chariots will be pulled by 500 persons, who should be fully vaccinated or should have tested negative 48 hours before the festival.
No devotees shall be allowed to participate in the Rath Yatra or in any ritual associated with it during Debasnan Purnima, Bahuda Yatra, Suna Besha and Niladri Bije.
Like last year, curfew will be imposed in Puri town on such days to prevent the congregation of devotees.” Jena said.
The government has decided to seal the points of entry to Puri town during the festival.
The bus stand, railway station, river and sea route to Puri would be closed.
Trains, buses and private vehicles will not be allowed to enter Puri during the festival, the order stated.
The fate of last year’s Rath Yatra had followed week-long speculations and moments of intense anxiety among devotees amid the pandemic.
The Supreme Court, which had on June 18 last year ordered the cancellation of the Rath Yatra in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, had modified its earlier order amid mounting political pressure a day before the Rath on June 23 and granted permission to hold the annual festival without the congregation of devotees.
The Supreme Court’s June 18 order had sparked statewide public outcry and political slugfest with many criticising the state government for having failed to convince the SC to hold the Rath without the devotees.
The state government had to change its stand under duress and had then assured to plead with the Supreme Court to not stop the age-old tradition.